Indian  Boyhood 


The  Great  Mystery. 


NDIAN   BOYHOOD 

BY  CHARLES  A.  EASTMAN 
WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS 
BY  E.  L.  BLUMENSCHEIN 


McCLURE,  PHILLIPS  &  CO.:  NEW  YORK:  MCMII 


Copyright,  1902,  by 
McCujRE,  PHILLIPS  &  Co. 

Published  October,  igo2 


HE  North  American  Indian  was 
the  highest  type  of  pagan  and  un 
civilized  man.  He  possessed  not 
only  a  superb  physique  but  a  re 
markable  mind.  But  the  Indian  no 
longer  exists  as  a  natural  and  free 
man.  'Those  remnants  which  now  dwell  upon  the 
reservations  present  only  a  sort  of  tableau — a  fictitious  , 
copy  of  the  fast. 


OK^f- 
^The  -following  chapters  are  the  im-jferfezLrecord  ofW^ 

my  boyish  impressions  and  experiences  up  to  the  age  of 
fifteen  years.  I  have  put  together  these  fragmentary 
recollections  of  my  thrilling  wild  life  expressly  for  the 
little  son  who  came  too  late  to  behold  for  himself  the 
drama  of  savage  existence.  I  dedicate  this  little 
with  love,  to  Ohiyesa  the  second,  my  son. 

CHARLES  A.  EASTMAN. 

[Obiyesa.'] 


. 


101614 


Contents 

I 
EARLIEST  RECOLLECTIONS 

I :  Hakadah,  "  The  Pitiful  Last  "      .         j 

II:  Early  Hardships  n 

III:   A/jy  Indian  Grandmother      .  .       21 

IV:   An  Indian  Sugar  Camp         .  .       29 

V:  A  Midsummer  Feast    .         .  .       j»<5 

II 
AN    INDIAN    BOY'S   TRAINING 

III 
MY  PLAYS  AND   PLAYMATES 

I :   Games  and  Sports        <•         .  63 

II:  My  Playmates    .         .         .         -75 

III:  7X*  Boy  Hunter  86 

IV 
HAKADAH'S   FIRST  OFFERING 

V 
FAMILY    TRADITIONS 

I:  yf  ^/j//  /0  *9w^/^y  Day        .         .       115 
II:  The  Stone  Boy  .... 


viii  Contents 

VI 
EVENING   IN   THE    LODGE 

I :  Evening  in  the  Lodge         .          .       14.1 
II:   Adventures  of  My  Uncle  .         .       153 

VII 
THE  END    OF   THE    BEAR    DANCE 

VIII 
THE    MAIDENS'   FEAST 

IX 
MORE    LEGENDS 

I :  A  Legend  of  ~D  evil's  Lake  .       191 

II:  Manitosbaw's  Hunting       .         .       200 

X 
INDIAN   LIFE   AND   ADVENTURE 

I:  Life  in  the  Woods      .  .  .  213 

II:  A  Winter  Camp         .  .  .  225 

III:   Wild  Harvests          .  .  .  233 

IV:  A  Meeting  on  the  Plains  .  .  245 

V:  An  Adventurous  Journey  .  .  252 

XI 
THE    LAUGHING    PHILOSOPHER 

XII 

FIRST     IMPRESSIONS     OF    CIVILIZA 
TION 


Full  Page  Illustrations 

PAGE 

The  Great  Mystery          .         .  .  Frontispiece 

Ohiyesa  and  Chatanna     .         .  .  facing        76 

Evening  in  the  Lodge       .         .  .  facing      148 

The  Courtship  of  Manitoshaw  .  .  facing      210 


Earliest  Recollections 


OF  T! 


UNIVEK- 


I:  Hakadah,  "The  Pitiful  Last" 

HAT  boy  would  not  be  an  Indian 
for  a  while  when  he  thinks  of  the 
freest  life  in  the  world  ?  This  life 
was  mine.  Every  day  there  was 
a  real  hunt.  There  was  real  game. 
Occasionally  there  was  a  medicine 
dance  away  off  in  the  woods  where  no  one  could 
disturb  us,  in  which  the  boys  impersonated  their 
elders,  Brave  Bull,  Standing  Elk,  High  Hawk, 
Medicine  Bear,  and  the  rest.  They  painted  and 
imitated  their  fathers  and  grandfathers  to  the 
minutest  detail,  and  accurately  too,  because  they 
had  seen  the  real  thing  all  their  lives. 

We  were  not  only  good  mimics  but  we  were 
close  students  of  nature.  We  studied  the  habits 
of  animals  just  as  you  study  your  books.  We 
watched  the  men  of  our  people  and  represented 
them  in  our  play  ;  then  learned  to  emulate  them  in 
our  lives. 

No  people  have  a  better  use  of  their  five  senses 


4  Indian  Boyhood 

than  the  children  of  the  wilderness.  We  could 
smell  as  well  as  hear  and  see.  We  could  feel  and 
taste  as  well  as  we  could  see  and  hear.  Nowhere 
has  the  memory  been  more  fully  developed  than  in 
the  wild  life,  and  I  can  still  see  wherein  I  owe 
much  to  my  early  training. 

Of  course  I  myself  do  not  remember  when  I 
rst  saw  the  day,  but  my  brothers  have  often 
recalled  the  event  with  much  mirth  ;  for  it  was 
a  custom  of  the  Sioux  that  when  a  boy  was  born 
his  brother  must  plunge  into  the  water,  or  roll  in 
the  snow  naked  if  it  was  winter  time  ;  and  if  he 
was  not  big  enough  to  do  either  of  these  himself, 
water  was  thrown  on  him.  If  the  new-born  had  a 
sister,  she  must  be  immersed.  The  idea  was  that 
a  warrior  had  come  to  camp,  and  the  other  chil 
dren  must  display  some  act  of  hardihood. 

I  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  the  youngest  of  five 
children  who,  soon  after  I  was  born,  were  left 
motherless.  I  had  to  bear  the  humiliating  name 
"  Hakadah,"  meaning  "  the  pitiful  last,"  until  I 
should  earn  a  more  dignified  and  appropriate 
name.  I  was  regarded  as  little  more  than  a  pkty- 

thi ng  by  thft-cegt-nf  the  fhildrpnr 

My  mother,  who  was  known  as  the  handsomest 
woman  of  all  the  Spirit  Lake  and  Leaf  Dweller 
Sioux,  was  dangerously  ill,  and  one  of  the  medi- 


Hakadah,  "  The  Pitiful  Last  "  5 

cine  men  who  attended  her  said  :  cc  Another 
medicine  man  has  come  into  existence,  but  the  / 
mother  must  die.  Therefore  let  him  bear  the  name 
c  Mysterious  Medicine/  '  But  one  of  the  by 
standers  hastily  interfered,  saying  that  an  uncle  of 
the  child  already  bore  that  name,  so,  for  the  time, 
I  was  only  «  Hakadah." 

My   beautiful    mother,    sometimes    called    the 
"  Demi-Goddess  "  of  the    Sioux,  who    tradition 
says  had  every  feature  of  a  Caucasian  descent  with 
the  exception  of  her  luxuriant  black  hair  and  deep 
black  eyes,  held  me  tightly  to  her  bosom  upon 
her  death-bed,  while  she  whispered  a  few  words  to\          » 
her  mother-in-law.     She  said  :     u  I  give  you  this  \  \J 
boy    for  your  own.        I    cannot    trust    my    own     j  ' 
mother  with  him  ;  she  will  neglect  him  and  he  will  y 
surely  die." 

The  woman  to  whom  these  words  were  spoken 
was  below  the  average  in  stature,  remarkably  ac 
tive  for  her  age  (she  was  then  fully  sixty),   and 
possessed  of  as  much  goodness  as  intelligence.  My 
mother's  judgment  concerning  her  own  mother 
was  well  founded,  for  soon  after  her  death  that 
old  lady  appeared,  and  declared  that  Hakadah        f 
was   too   young  to  live  without  a  mother.     She^  / 
offered    to  keep  me  until    I  died,  and  then  she^A^ 
would  put  me  in  my  mother's  grave.     Of  course 


6  Indian  Boyhood 

my  other  grandmother  denounced  the  sugges 
tion  as  a  very  wicked  one,  and  refused  to  give 
me  up. 

The  babe  was  done  up  as  usual  in  a  movable 
cradle  made  from  an  oak  board  two  and  a  half 
feet  long  and  one  and  a  half  feet  wide.  On  one 
side  of  it  was  nailed  with  brass-headed  tacks  the 
richly-embroidered  sack,  which  was  open  in  front 
and  laced  up  and  down  with  buckskin  strings. 
Over  the  arms  of  the  infant  was  a  wooden  bow, 
the  ends  of  which  were  firmly  attached  to  the 
board,  so  that  if  the  cradle  should  fall  the  child's 
head  and  face  would  be  protected.  On  this  bow 
were  hung  curious  playthings  —  strings  of  artis 
tically  carved  bones  and  hoofs  of  deer,  which 
rattled  when  the  little  hands  moved  them. 

In  this  upright  cradle  I  lived,  played  and  slept 
the  greater  part  of  the  time  during  the  first  few 
months  of  my  life.  Whether  I  was  made  to  lean 
against  a  lodge  pole  or  was  suspended  from  a 
bough  of  a  tree,  while  my  grandmother  cut  wood, 
or  whether  I  was  carried  on  her  back,  or  con 
veniently  balanced  by  another  child  in  a  similar 
cradle  hung  on  the  opposite  side  of  a  pony,  I  was 
still  in  my  oaken  bed. 

This  grandmother,  who  had  already  lived 
through  sixty  years  of  hardships,  was  a  wonder  to 


Hakadah,  "  The  Pitiful  Last"  7 

the  young  maidens  of  the  tribe.  She  showed  no 
less  enthusiasm  over  Hakadah  than  she  had  done 
when  she  held  her  first-born,  the  boy's  father,  in 
her  arms.  Every  little  attention  that  is  due  to  a 
loved  child  she  performed  with  much  skill  and  de 
votion.  She  made  all  my  scanty  garments  and  my 
tiny  moccasins  with  a  great  deal  of  taste.  It  was 
said  by  all  that  I  could  not  have  had  more  atten 
tion  had  my  mother  been  living. 

Uncheedah  (grandmother)  was  a  great  singer. 
Sometimes,  when  Hakadah  wakened  too  early  in 
the  morning,  she  would  sing  to  him  something  like 
the  following  lullaby  : 

Sleep,  sleepy  my  boy,  the  Chippewas      \£ 

Are  far  away — are  far  away . ' 
Sleep,  sleep,  my  boy;  prepare  to  meet 

The  foe  by  day — the  foe  by  day! 
The  cowards  will  not  dare  to  fight 

Till  morning  break — //'//  morning  break. 
Sleep,  sleep,  my  child,  while  still  'tis  night ; 

Then  bravely  wake  —  then  bravely  wake  ! 

The  Dakota  women  were  wont  to  cut  and  bring 
their  fuel  from  the  woods  and,  in  fact,  to  perform 
most  of  the  drudgery  of  the  camp.  This  of  neces 
sity  fell  to  their  lot,  because  the  men  must  follow 
the  game  during  the  day.  Very  often  my  grand 
mother  carried  me  with  her  on  these  excursions ; 


8  Indian  Boyhood 

and  while  she  worked  it  was  her  habit  to  suspend 
me  from  a  wild  grape  vine  or  a  springy  bough,  so 
that  the  least  breeze  would  swing  the  cradle  to 
and  fro. 

She  has  told  me  that  when  I  had  grown  old 
enough  to  take  notice,  I  was  apparently  capable  of 
holding  extended  conversations  in  an  unknown 
dialect  with  birds  and  red  squirrels.  Once  I  fell 
asleep  in  my  cradle,  suspended  five  or  six  feet 
from  the  ground,  while  Uncheedah  was  some  dis 
tance  away,  gathering  birch  bark  for  a  canoe.  A 
squirrel  had  found  it  convenient  to  come  upon  the 
bow  of  my  cradle  and  nibble  his  hickory  nut,  until 
he  awoke  me  by  dropping  the  crumbs  of  his  meal. 
My  disapproval  of  his  intrusion  was  so  decided 
that  he  had  to  take  a  sudden  and  quick  flight  to 
another  bough,  and  from  there  he  began  to  pour 
out  his  wrath  upon  me,  while  I  continued  my  ob 
jections  to  his  presence  so  audibly  that  Uncheedah 
soon  came  to  my  rescue,  and  compelled  the  bold 
intruder  to  go  away.  It  was  a  common  thing  for 
birds  to  alight  on  my  cradle  in  the  woods. 

My  food  was,  at  first,  a  troublesome  question  for 
my  kind  foster-mother.  She  cooked  some  wild  rice 
and  strained  it,  and  mixed  it  with  broth  made  from 
choice  venison.  She  also  pounded  dried  venison 
almost  to  a  flour,  and  kept  it  in  water  till  the 


Hakadab,  "  The  Pitiful  Last  "  9 

nourishing  juices  were  extracted,  then  mixed  with 
it  some  pounded  maize,  which  was  browned  before 
pounding.  This  soup  of  wild  rice,  pounded  veni 
son  and  maize  was  my  main-stay.  But  soon  my 
teeth  came — much  earlier  than  the  white  children 
usually  cut  theirs ;  and  then  my  good  nurse  gave 
me  a  little  more  varied  food,  and  I  did  all  my  own 
grinding. 

After  I  left  my  cradle,  I  almost  walked  away 
from  it,  she  told  me.  She  then  began  calling  my 
attention  to  natural  objects.  Whenever  I  heard 
the  song  of  a  bird,  she  would  tell  me  what  bird  it 
came  from,  something  after  this  fashion : 

"  Hakadah,  listen  to  Shechoka  (the  robin)  call 
ing  his  mate.  He  says  he  has  just  found  some- 
think  good  to  eat."  Or  "  Listen  to  Oopehanska 
(the  thrush) ;  he  is  singing  for  his  little  wife.  He 
will  sing  his  best."  When  in  the  evening  the 
whippoorwill  started  his  song  with  vim,  no  further 
than  a  stone's  throw  from  our  tent  in  the  woods, 
she  would  say  to  me :  .  ^ 

"  Hush  !     It  may  be  an  Ojibway  scout !  "  r*— • 

Again,  when  I  waked  at  midnight,  she  would 
say :  ^ 

"  Do  not  cry  !     Hinakaga  (the  owl)  is  watcrA   / 
ing  you  from  the  tree-top."  /\ 

I  usually  covered  up  my  head,  for  I  had  perfect 


\/C 


io  Indian  Boyhood 

faith  in  my  grandmother's  admonitions,  and  she 
had  given  me  a  dreadful  idea  of  this  bird.  It  was 
one  of  her  legends  that  a  little  boy  was  once  stand 
ing  just  outside  of  the  teepee  (tent),  crying  vigor 
ously  for  his  mother,  when  Hinakaga  swooped 
down  in  the  darkness  and  carried  the  poor  little 
fellow  up  into  the  trees.  It  was  well  known  that 
the  hoot  of  the  owl  was  commonly  imitated  by 
Indian  scouts  when  on  the  war-path.  There  had 
been  dreadful  massacres  immediately  following  this 
call.  Therefore  it  was  deemed  wise  to  impress 
the  sound  early  upon  the  mind  of  the  child. 

dian  children  were  trained  so  that  they  hardly 
ever  cried  much  in  the  night.     This  was  very  ex 
pedient  and  necessary  in  their  exposed  life.     In  my 
nfancy  it  was  my  grandmother's  custom  to  put  me 
A  to  sleep,  as  she  said,  with  the  birds,  and  to  waken 
V  yne  with  them,  until  it  became  a  habit.     She  did 
this  with  an  object  in  view.     An  Indian  must  al 
ways  rise  early.     In  the  first  place,  as  a  hunter,  he 
finds  his  game  best  at  daybreak.     Secondly,  other 
tribes,  when  on  the  war-path,  usually  make  their 
attack  very  early  in  the  morning.     Even  when  our 
people  are  moving  about  leisurely,  we  like  to  rise 
before  daybreak,  in  order  to  travel  when  the  air  is 
cool,  and  unobserved,  perchance,  by  our  enemies. 
As  a  little  child,  it  was  instilled  into  me  to  be 


Early  Hardships  1 1 

silent  and  reticent.  This  was  one  of  the  most  im 
portant  traits  to  form  in  the  character  of  the  Indian. 
As  a  hunter  and  warrior  it  was  considered  abso 
lutely  necessary  to  him,  and  was  thought  to  lay  the 
foundations  of  patience  and  self-control.  There 
are  times  when  boisterous  mirth  is  indulged  in  by 
our  people,  but  the  rule  is  gravity  and  decorum. 

After  all,  my  babyhood  was  full  of  interest  and 
the  beginnings  of  life's  realities.  The  spirit  of 
daring  was  already  whispered  into  my  ears.  The 
value  of  the  eagle  feather  as  worn  by  the  warrior 
had  caught  my  eye.  One  day,  when  I  was  left 
alone,  at  scarcely  two  years  of  age,  I  took  my 
uncle's  war  bonnet  and  plucked  out  all  its  eagle 
feathers  to  decorate  my  dog  and  myself.  So  soon 
the  life  that  was  about  me  had  made  its  impress, 
and  already  I  desired  intensely  to  comply  with  all 
of  its  demands. 

II:    Early  Hardships 

|NE  of  the  earliest  recollections  of 
my  adventurous  childhood  is 
the  ride  I  had  on  a  pony's  side. 
I  was  passive  in  the  whole  mat 
ter.  A  little  girl  cousin  of  mine 
was  put  in  a  bag  and  suspended 
from  the  horn  of  an  Indian  saddle ;  but  her 


1 2  Indian  Boyhood 

weight  must  be  balanced  or  the  saddle  would  not 
remain  on  the  animal's  back.  Accordingly,  I  was 
put  into  another  sack  and  made  to  keep  the 
saddle  and  the  girl  in  position  !  I  did  not  object 
at  all,  for  I  had  a  very  pleasant  game  of  peek-a- 
boo  with  the  little  girl,  until  we  came  to  a  big 
snow-drift,  where  the  poor  beast  was  stuck  fast 
and  began  to  lie  down.  Then  it  was  not  so  nice  ! 

This  was  the  convenient  and  primitive  way  in 
which  some  mothers  packed  their  children  for 
winter  journeys.  However  cold  the  weather 
might  be,  the  inmate  of  the  fur-lined  sack  was 
usually  very  comfortable — at  least  I  used  to  think 
so.  I  believe  I  was  accustomed  to  all  the  pre 
carious  Indian  conveyances,  and,  as  a  boy,  I  en- 
\/  joyed  the  dog-travaux  ride  as  much  as  any.  The 
'  travaux  consisted  of  a  set  of  rawhide  strips  secure 
ly  lashed  to  the  tent-poles,  which  were  harnessed 
to  the  sides  of  the  animal  as  if  he  stood  between 
shafts,  while  the  free  ends  were  allowed  to  drag  on 
the  ground.  Both  ponies  and  large  dogs  were 
used  as  beasts  of  burden,  and  they  carried 
in  this  way  the  smaller  children  as  well  as  the 
baggage. 

This  mode  of  travelling  for  children  was  possi 
ble  only  in  the  summer,  and  as  the  dogs  were  some 
times  unreliable,  the  little  ones  were  exposed  to  a 


>!. 


Early  Hardships  13 

certain  amount  of  danger.  For  instance,  wheri^ 
ever  a  train  of  dogs  had  been  travelling  for  a  long 
time,  almost  perishing  with  the  heat  and  their  I  V/ 
heavy  loads,  a  glimpse  of  water  would  cause  /  / 
them  to  forget  all  their  responsibilities.  Some  of 
them,  in  spite  of  the  screams  of  the  women,  would 
swim  with  their  burdens  into  the  cooling  stream, 
and  I  was  thus,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  made 
to  partake  of  an  unwilling  bath. 

I  was  a  little  over  four  years  old  at  the  time  of 
the  "  Sioux  massacre "  in  Minnesota.  In  the 
general  turmoil,  we  took  flight  into  British 
Columbia,  and  the  journey  is  still  vividly  remem 
bered  by  all  our  family.  A  yoke  of  oxen  and  a 
lumber-wagon  were  taken  from  some  white  farmer 
and  brought  home  for  our  conveyance. 

How  delighted  I   was  when  I  learned  that  we 
were  to  ride  behind  those  wise-looking  animals 
and  in  that  gorgeously  painted  wagon  !    It  seemed \S 
almost  like  a    living  creature    to    me,    this    new/ 
vehicle  with  four  legs,  and  the  more  so  when  we 
got  out  of  axle-grease  and  the  wheels  went  along 
squealing  like  pigs  ! 

The  boys  found  a  great  deal  of  innocent  fun  in 
jumping  from  the  high  wagon  while  the  oxen 
were  leisurely  moving  along.  My  elder  brothers 
soon  became  experts.  At  last,  I  mustered  up 


14  Indian  Boyhood 

courage  enough  to  join  them  in  this  sport.  I  was 
sure  they  stepped  on  the  wheel,  so  I  cautiously 
placed  my  moccasined  foot  upon  it.  Alas  !  before 
I  could  realize  what  had  happened,  I  was  under 
the  wheels,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  neighbor 
immediately  behind  us,  I  might  have  been  run 
over  by  the  next  team  as  well. 

This  was  my  first  experience  with  a  civilized 
vehicle.  I  cried  out  all  possible  reproaches  on 
the  white  man's  team  and  concluded  that  a  dog- 
travaux  was  good  enough  for  me.  I  was  really 
rejoiced  that  we  were  moving  away  from  the 
people  who  made  the  wagon  that  had  almost 
ended  my  life,  and  it  did  not  occur  to  me  that  I 
alone  was  to  blame.  I  could  not  be  persuaded  to 
ride  in  that  wagon  again  and  was  glad  when  we 
finally  left  it  beside  the  Missouri  river. 

The  summer  after  the  "  Minnesota  massacre," 
General  Sibley  pursued  our  people  across  this 
river.  Now  the  Missouri  is  considered  one  of 
the  most  treacherous  rivers  in  the  world.  Even 
a  good  modern  boat  is  not  safe  upon  its  uncertain 
current.  We  were  forced  to  cross  in  buffalo-skin 
boats — as  round  as  tubs  ! 

The  Washechu  (white  men)  were  coming  in 
great  numbers  with  their  big  guns,  and  while 
most  of  our  men  were  fighting  them  to  gain  time, 


Early  Hardships  15 

the  women  and  the  old  men  made  and  equipped 
the  temporary  boats,  braced  with  ribs  of  willow. 
Some  of  these  were  towed  by  two  or  three  women 
or  men  swimming  in  the  water  and  some  by  ponies. 
It  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  keep  them  right  side 
up,  with  their  helpless  freight  of  little  children 
and  such  goods  as  we  possessed. 

In  our  flight,  we  little  folks  were  strapped  in 
the  saddles  or  held  in  front  of  an  older  person,  and 
in  the  long  night  marches  to  get  away  from  the 
soldiers,  we  suffered  from  loss  of  sleep  and  insuf 
ficient  food.  Our  meals  were  eaten  hastily,  and 
sometimes  in  the  saddle.  Water  was  not  always 
to  be  found.  The  people  carried  it  with  them  in 
bags  formed  of  tripe  or  the  dried  pericardium  of 
animals. 

Now  we  were  compelled  to  trespass  upon  the 
country  of  hostile  tribes  and  were  harassed  by  them 
almost  daily  and  nightly.  Only  the  strictest 
vigilance  saved  us. 

One  day  we  met  with  another  enemy  near  the 
British  lines.     It  was  a  prairie  fire.    We  were  sur 
rounded.     Another  fire  was  quickly  made,  which./ 
saved  our  lives.  / 

One    of  the  most^thjillingL  experiences  of  the     , 
following  winter  was  a  blizzard,  which  overtook  us  / 
in  our  wanderings.     Here  and  there,  a  family  lay 


1 6  Indian  Boyhood 

down  in  the  snow,  selecting  a  place  where  it  was 
not  likely  to  drift  much.  For  a  day  and  a  night 
we  layjunder  the^sjiojv.  Uncle  stuck  a  long  pole 
de  us  to  tell  us  when  the  storm  was  over. 
We  had  plenty  of  buffalo  robes  and  the  snow 
kept  us  warm,  but  we  found  it  heavy.  After  a 
time,  it  became  packed  and  hollowed  out  around 
our  bodies,  so  that  we  were  as  comfortable  as  one 
can  be  under  those  circumstances. 

The  next  day  the  storm  ceased,  and  we  dis 
covered  a  large  herd  of  buffaloes  almost  upon  us. 
We  dug  our  way  out,  shot  some  of  the  buffaloes, 
made  a  fire  and  enjoyed  a  good  dinner. 

I  was  now  an  exile  as  well  as  motherless ;  yet  I 
was  not  unhappy.  Our  wanderings  from  place  to 
place  afforded  us  many  pleasant  experiences  and 
quite  as  many  hardships  and  misfortunes.  There 
were  times  of  plenty  and  times  of  scarcity,  and  we 
had  several  narrow  escapes  from  death.  In  sav- 
'  age  life,  the  early  spring  is  the  most  trying  time 
and  almost  all  the  famines  occurred  at  this  period 

the  year. 

The  Indians  are  a  patient  and  a  clannish  people; 
their  love  for  one  another  is  stronger  than  that  of 
any  civilized  people  I  know.  If  this  were  not  so, 
I  believe  there  would  have  been  tribes  of  cannibals 
among  them.  White  people  have  been  known  to 


Early  Hardships  17 

kill  and  eat  their  companions   in    preference    to>T^- 
starving;  but  Indians — never  ! 

In  times  of  famine,  the  adults  often  denied 
themselves  in  order  to  make  the  food  last  as  long 
as  possible  for  the  children,  who  were  not  able  to 
bear  hunger  as  well  as  the  old.  As  a  people,  they 
can  live  without  food  much  longer  than  any  other 
nation. 

I  once  passed  through  one  of  these  hard  springs 
when  we  had  nothing  to  eat  for  several  days.  I 
well  remember  the  six  small  birds  which  consti 
tuted  the  breakfast  for  six  families  one  morning ; 
and  then  we  had  no  dinner  or  supper  to  follow  ! 
What  a  relief  that  was  to  me —  although  I  had  only 
a  small  wing  of  a  small  bird  for  my  share  !  Soon 
after  this,  we  came  into  a  region  where  buffaloes 
were  plenty,  and  hunger  and  scarcity  were  for 
gotten. 

Such  was  the  Indian's  wild  life  !  When  game  was  ^ 
to  be  had  and  the  sun  shone,  they  easily  forgot  the 
bitter  experiences  of  the    winter    before.      Little^J 
preparation  was  made  for  the  future.    They  are 
children  of   Nature,  and  occasionally  she   whips 
them  with  the  lashes  of  experience,  yet  they  are 
forgetful  and  careless.     Much  of  their  suffering^  ^ 
might  have  been  prevented  by  a  little  calculation-J 

During  the  summer,  when  Nature  is  at  her  best, 


1 8  Indian  Boyhood 

and  provides  abundantly  for  the  savage,  it  seems  to 
me  that  no  life  is  happier  than  his  !  Food  is 
free  —  lodging  free — everything  free!  All  were 
alike  rich  in  the  summer,  and,  again,  all  were  alike 
poor  in  the  winter  and  early  spring.  However, 
their  diseases  were  fewer  and  not  so  destructive  as 
now,  and  the  Indian's  health  was  generally  good. 
The  Indian  boy  enjoyed  such  a  life  as  almost  all 
boys  dream  of  and  would  choose  for  themselves  if 
they  were  permitted  to  do  so. 

The  raids  made  upon  our  people  by  other  tribes 
were  frequent,  and  we  had  to  be  constantly  on  the 
watch.  I  remember  at  one  time  a  night  attack  was 
made  upon  our  camp  and  all  our  ponies  stam 
peded.  Only  a  few  of  them  were  recovered,  and 
our  journeys  after  this  misfortune  were  effected 
mostly  by  means  of  the  dog-travaux. 

The  second  winter  after  the  massacre,  my  father 
and  my  two  older  brothers,  with  several  others, 
were  betrayed  by  a  half-breed  at  Winnipeg  to  the 
United  States  authorities.  As  I  was  then  living 
with  my  uncle  in  another  part  of  the  country,  I  be 
came  separated  from  them  for  ten  years.  During 
all  this  time  we  believed  that  they  had  been 
killed  by  the  whites,  and  I  was  taught  that  I  must 
avenge  their  deaths  as  soon  as  I  was  able  to  go 
upon  the  war-path. 


Early  Hardships  19 

< — 
I  must  say  a  word  in  regard  to  the  character  of 

this  uncle,  my  father's  brother,  who  was  my  ad 
viser  and  teacher  for  many  years.  He  was  a  man 
about  six  feet  two  inches  in  height,  very  erect  and 
broad-shouldered.  He  was  known  at  that  time 
as  one  of  the  best  hunters  and  bravest  warriors 
among  the  Sioux  in  British  America,  where  he 
still  lives,  for  to  this  day  we  have  failed  to  persuade 
him  to  return  to  the  United  States. 

He  is  a  typical  Indian  —  npt  handsome,  but 
trutKFuI  and  brave.  He  had  a  few  simple  princi- 
^LJesJrom  which  JieJiaidlyjever  departed.  Some 
of  these  I  shall  describe  when  I  speak  of  my  early 
training. 

It  is   wonderful    that   any    children    grew   up 
through  all  the  exposures  and  hardships  that  we 
suffered  in  those  days  !     The  frail  teepee  pitched 
anywhere,  in  the  winter  as  well  as  in  the  summer, 
was  all  the  protection  that  we  had  against  cold  and 
storms.     I  can  recall  times  when  we  were  snowed 
in  and  it  was  very  difficult  to  get  fuel.     We  were\ 
once  three  days  without  much  fire  and  all  of  this    \ 
time  it  stormed  violently.  There  seemed  to  be  no 
special  anxiety  on  the  part  of  our  people ;  they 
rather  looked  upon  all  this  as  a  matter  of  course,    /  / 
knowing   that   the  storm  would  cease  when  the   / 
time  came.  — ' 


X 


2O  Indian  Boyhood 

I  could  once  endure  as  much  cold  and  hunger 
as  any  of  them  ;  but  now  if  I  miss  one  meal  or 
accidentally  wet  my  feet,  I  feel  it  as  much  as  if  I 
had  never  lived  in  the  manner  I  have  described, 
when  it  was  a  matter  of  course  to  get  myself  soak 
ing  wet  many  a  time.  Even  if  there  was  plenty 
i|  to  eat,  it  was  thought  better  for  us  to  practice  fast- 
\\  ing  sometimes ;  and  hard  exercise  was  kept  up 
"Continually,  both  for  the  sake  of  health  and  to 
prepare  the  body  for  the  extraordinary  exertions 
that  it  might,  at  any  moment,  be  required 
undergo.  In  my  own  remembrance,  my 
uncle  used  often  to  bring  home  a  deer  on  his 
shoulder.  The  distance  was  sometimes  con 
siderable  ;  yet  he  did  not  consider  it  any  sort  of 
a  feat. 

The  usual  custom  with  us  was  to  eat  only  two 
\     meals  a  day  and  these  were  served  at  each  end 
x^Vjof  the  day.     This  rule  was  not  invariable,  how 
ever,  for   if  there  should  be  any  callers,  it  was 
Indian  etiquette  to  offer  either  tobacco  or  food,  or 
\^both.     The  rule  of  two  meals  a  day  was  more 
closely    observed    by    the    men  —  especially   the 
younger  men  —  than  by  the  women  and  children. 
This  was  when  the  Indians  recognized  that  a  true 
manhood,  one  of  physical  activity  and  endurance, 
depends  upon  dieting  and  regular  exercise.    No 


My  Indian  Grandmother  21 

such  system  is  practised  by  the  reservation  Indians 
of  to-day. 

Ill:    My  Indian  Grandmother 

|S  a  motherless  child,  I  always  re 
garded  my  good  grandmother  as 
the  wisest  of  guides  and  the  best 
of  protectors.  It  was  not  long 
before  I  began  to  realize  her  su 
periority  to  most  of  her  contempo 
raries.  This  idea  was  not  gained  entirely  from  my 
own  observation,  but  also  from  a  knowledge  of 
the  high  regard  in  which  she  was  held  by  other  wo 
men.  Aside  from  her  native  talent  and  ingenuity, 
she  was  endowed  with  a  truly  wonderful  memory. 
No  other  midwife  in  her  day  and  tribe  could  com 
pete  with  her  in  skill  and  judgment.  Her  obser 
vations  in  practice  were  all  preserved  in  her  mind 
for  reference,  as  systematically  as  if  they  had  been 
written  upon  the  pages  of  a  note-book. 

I  distinctly  recall  one  occasion  when  she  took 
me  with  her  into  the  woods  in  search  of  certain 
medicinal  roots. 

"  Why  do  you  not  use  all  kinds  of  roots  for 
medicines  ?  "  said  I. 

"  Because,"  she  replied,  in  her  quick,  charac 
teristic  manner,  u  the  Great  Mystery  does  not  will  I  >C 


22  Indian  Boyhood 

/  us  to  find  things  too  easily.     In  that  case  every- 

M  body    would    be  a   medicine-giver,  and  Ohiyesa 

must  learn  that  there  are  many  secrets  which  the 

\/||  Great    Mystery  will    disclose   only   to  the   most 

y^4|  worthy.      Only  those  who  seek  him   fasting  and 

(|in  solitude  will  receive  his  signs." 

5  With  this  and  many  similar  explanations  she 

/     wrought  in  my  soul  wonderful  and  lively  concep- 

/       tions  of  the  "  Great  Mystery  "  and  of  the  effects 

V        of  prayer  and  solitude.     I  continued  my  childish 

^* — questioning. 

"  But  why  did  you  not  dig  those  plants  that  we 
saw  in  the  woods,  of  the  same  kind  that  you  are 
digging  now  ?  " 

"  For  the  same  reason  that  we  do  not  like  the 

berries  we  find  in  the  shadow  of  deep  woods  as 

well  as  the  ones  which  grow  in  sunny  places.    The 

latter  have  more   sweetness  and  flavor.     Those 

herbs  which   have    medicinal  virtues    should    be 

sought  in  a  place  that  is  neither  too  wet  nor  too 

dry,  and  where  they  have  a   generous  amount  of 

sunshine  to  maintain  their  vigor. 

/  ^"  Some  day  Ohiyesa  will  be  old  enough  to  know 

f     the  secrets  of  medicine ;  then  I  will  tell  him  all. 

J   \    But  if  you  should  grow  up  to  be  a  bad  man,  I 

\  must  withhold   these  treasures  from  you  and  give 

\them  to  your  brother,  for  a  medicine  man  must  be 


My  Indian  Grandmother 

a  good  and  wise  man.  I  hope  Ohiyesa  will  be  a 
great  medicine  man  when  he  grows  up.  To  be 
a  great  warrior  is  a  noble  ambition  ;  but  to  be 
a  mighty  medicine  man  is  a  nobler  !  " 

She  said  these  things  so  thoughtfully  and  im 
pressively  that  I  cannot  but  feel  and  remember 
them  even  to  this  day. 

Our  native  women  gathered  all  the  wild  rice, 
roots,  berries  and  fruits  which  formed  an  impor 
tant  part  of  our  food.  This  was  distinctively  a 
woman's  work.  Uncheedah  (grandmother)  under 
stood  these  matters  perfectly,  and  it  became  a  kind 
of  instinct  with  her  to  know  just  where  to  look 
for  each  edible  variety  and  at  what  season  of  the 
year.  This  sort  of  labor  gave  the  Indian  women 
every  opportunity  to  observe  and  study  Nature 
after  their  fashion ;  and  in  this  Uncheedah  was 
more  acute  than  most  of  the  men.  The  abilities 
of  her  boys  were  not  all  inherited  from  their 
father;  indeed,  the  stronger  family  traits  carne/V/ 
obviously  from  her.  She  was  a  leader  among  thel/  \. 
native  women,  and  they  came  to  her,  not  only  for  / 

medical  aid,  but  for  advice  in  all  their  affairs. *J 

*Vv|n  bravery  she  equaled  any  of  the  men.  This 
trait,  together  with  her  ingenuity  and^alertness  of 
mind,  more  than  once  saved  her  and  her  people 
from  destruction.  Once,  when  we  were  roaming 


24  Indian  Boyhood 

over  a  region  occupied  by  other  tribes,  and  on  a 
day  when  most  of  the  men  were  out  upon  the 
hunt,  a  party  of  hostile  Indians  suddenly  ap 
peared.  Although  there  were  a  few  men  left  at 
home,  they  were  taken  by  surprise  at  first  and 
scarcely  knew  what  to  do,  when  this  woman  came 
forward  and  advanced  alone  to  meet  our  foes. 
She  had  gone  some  distance  when  some  of  the 
men  followed  her.  She  met  the  strangers  and 
offered  her  hand  to  them.  They  accepted  her 
friendly  greeting  ;  and  as  a  result  of  her  brave  act 
we  were  left  unmolested  and  at  peace. 

Another  story  of  her  was  related  to  me  by  my 

father.      My  grandfather,  who  was  a  noted  hunter, 

often  wandered  away  from  his  band  in  search  of 

game.     In  this  instance  he  had  with  him  only  his 

own    family    of  three  boys  and  his    wife.     One 

evening, when  he  returned  from  the  chase,  he  found 

I    to  his    surprise    that   she    had    built    a  stockade 

\l  \^_arojind  her  teepee. 

She  had  discovered  the  danger-sign  in  a  single 
foot-print,  which  she  saw  at  a  glance  was  not  that 
of  her  husband,  and  she  was  also  convinced  that  it 
was  not  the  foot-print  of  a  Sioux,  from  the  shape 
of  the  moccasin.  This  ability  to  recognize  foot- 
^  prints  is  general  among  the  Indians,  but  more 
marked  in  certain  individuals. 


My  Indian  Grandmother  25 

This  courageous  woman  had  driven  away  a 
party  of  five  Ojibway  warriors.  They  approached 
the  lodge  cautiously,  but  her  dog  gave  timely 
warning,  and  she  poured  into  them  from  behind 
her  defences  the  contents  of  a  double-barrelled 
gun,  with  such  good  effect  that  the  astonished 
braves  thought  it  wise  to  retreat. 

I  was  not  more  than  five  or  six  years  old  when 
the  Indian  soldiers  came  one  day  and  destroyed  our 
large  buffalo-skin  teepee.  It  was  charged  that  my 
uncle  had  hunted  alone  a  large  herd  of  buffaloes. 
This  was  not  exactly  true.  He  had  unfortunately 
frightened  a  large  herd  while  shooting  a  deer  in 
the  edge  of  the  woods.  However,  it  was  custom 
ary  to  punish  such  an  act  severely,  even  though 
the  offense  was  accidental. 

When  we  wereattacked  by  the  police,  I  was  play 
ing  in  the  teepee,  and  the  only  Mother  person  at/ 
home  was  Uncheedah.     I  had  noK  noticed  their 
approach,  and  when  the_war-cry   w^s    given  byl 
thirty  or  forty  Indiansjwith_strong  lungs,  I  thought 
my  little  world  was  coming  to  an  end.     Instantly 
innumerable  knives  and  tomahawks  penetrated  our 
frail  home,  while  bullets  went  through  the  poles 
and  tent-fastenings  up  above  our  heads. 

I  hardly  know  what  I  did,  but  I  imagine  it  was 
just  what  any  other  little  fellow  would  have  done 


26  Indian  Boyhood 

under  like  circumstances.  My  first  clear  realiza 
tion  of  the  situation  was  when  Uncheedah  had  a 
dispute  with  the  leader,  claiming  that  the  matter 
had  not  been  properly  investigated,  and  that  none 
'oTtHc  policemen  "had"  'attained  to  a  reputation  in 


war  which  would  justify  them  in  touching  her  son's 

teepee.     But"  alas  7  ^>ur  poor  Swelling  was  already 
an    unrecognizable   ruin  ;    even   the    poles    were 
broken  into  splinters. 
'"The  Indian  women,  after  reaching  middle  age, 

x//    are  usually  heavy  and  lack  agility,  but  my  grand- 

A^m 


was  in  this  also  an  exception.  She  was 
fully  sixty  when  I  was  born  ;  and  when  I  was 
seven  years  old  she  swam  across  a  swift  and  wide 
stream,  carrying  me  on  her  back,  because  she  did 
not  wish  to  expose  me  to  accident  in  one  of  the 
clumsy  round  boats  of  bull-hide  which  were  rigged 
up  to  cross  the  rivers  which  impeded  our  way, 
especially  in  the  springtime.  Her  strength  and 
endurance  were  remarkable.  Even  after  she  had 
attained  the  age  of  eighty-two,  she  one  day  walked 
twenty-five  miles  without  appearing  much  fa 
tigued. 

I  marvel  now  at  the  purity  and  elevated  senti 
ment  possessed  by  this  woman,  when  I  consider 
the  customs  and  habits  of  her  people  at  the  time. 
When  her  husband  died  she  was  still  compara- 


My  Indian  Grandmother  27 

tively  a  young  woman  —  still  active,  clever  and 
industrious.     She  was  descended  from  a  haughty 
chieftain  of  the  "  Dwellers  among  the  Leaves." 
Although  women  of  her  age  and  position  were 
held  to  be  eligible  to  re-marriage,  and  she  had 
several  persistent  suitors  who  were  men  of  her  own  I 
age  and  chiefs,  yet  she  preferred    to  cherish   in  I 
solitude  the  memory  of  her  husband. 

I  was  very  small  when  my  uncle  brought  home^N 
two  Ojibway  young  women.   In  the  fight  in  which 
they  were  captured,  none  of  the  Sioux  war  party 
had  been  killed  :  therefore  they  were  sympathized     *, 
with  and  tenderly  treated  by  the  Sioux  women./' 
They  were  apparently  happy,  although  of  course 
they  felt  deeply  the  losses  sustained  at  the  time  of 
their  capture,  and  they  did  not  fail  to  show  their 
appreciation    of  the    kindnesses    received  at  our 
hands. 

As  I  recall  now  the  remarks  made  by  one  of 
them  at  the  time  of  their  final  release,  they  ap 
pear  to  me  quite  remarkable.  They  lived  in  my 
grandmother's  family  for  two  years,  and  were 
then  returned  to  their  people  at  a  great  peace 
council  of  the  two  nations.  When  they  were 
about  to  leave  my  grandmother,  the  elder  of  the 
two  sisters  first  embraced  her,  and  then  spoke 
somewhat  as  follows  : 


28  Indian  Boyhood 

"  You  are  a  brave  woman  and  a  true  mother. 
I  understand  now  why  your  son  so  bravely  con 
quered  our  band,  and  took  my  sister  and  myself 
captive.  I  hated  him  at  first,  but  now  I  admire 
him,  because  he  didj^ist  whaj^jny^father,  my 
(  brother^  or  my  husband  would  have  done  had 
^'XA  they  opportunity.  He  did  even  more.  He 
saved  us  from  the  tomahawks  of  his  fellow-war 
riors,  and  brought  us  to  his  home  to  know  a 
noble  and  a  brave  woman. 

"  I  shall  never  forget  your  many  favors  shown 
to  us.  But  I  must  go.  I  belong  to  my  tribe 
and  I  shall  return  to  them.  I  will  endeavor  to  be 
a  true  woman  also,  and  to  teach  my  boys  to  be 
generous  warriors  like  your  son." 

Her  sister  chose  to  remain  among  the  Sioux  all 
her  life,  and  she  married  one  of  our  young  men. 

"  I  shall  make  the  Sioux  and  the  Ojibways," 
she  said,  "  to  be  as  brothers." 

There  are  many  other  instances  of  intermar 
riage  with  captive  women.  The  mother  of  the 
well-known  Sioux  chieftain,  Wabashaw,  was  an 
Ojibway  woman.  I  once  knew  a  woman  who 
was  said  to  be  a  white  captive.  She  was  married 
to  a  noted  warrior,  and  had  a  fine  family  of  five 
boys.  She  was  well  accustomed  to  the  Indian 
ways,  and  as  a  child  I  should  not  have  suspected 


An  Indian  Sugar  Camp  29 

t*jk('-£     CJt^p\(\t^     vO<5~ 

that  she  was  white.    The  skins  of  thest  people  be- 

came  so  sunburned  and  full  of  paint  that  it  re-> 

— __— — — — — — —  -  *  '  j 

quired  a  keen  eye  to  distinguish  them  from  the 
real  Indians. 

IV:    An  Indian  Sugar  Camp 

ITH    the   first   March  thaw    the 
thoughts  of  the   Indian    women 
of   my    childhood    days    turned 
promptly    to   the    annual  sugar- 
making.        This      industry     was 
chiefly  followed  by  the  old  men 
and  women  and  the  children.     The  rest  of  the 
tribe  went  out  upon  the  spring  fur-hunt  at  this  sea 
son,  leaving  us  at  home  to  make  the  sugar. 

The  first  and  most  important  of  the  necessary 
utensils  were  the  huge  iron  and  brass  kettles  for 
boiling.  Everything  else  could  be  made,  but 
these  must  be  bought,  begged  or  borrowed.  A 
maple  tree  was  felled  and  a  log  canoe  hollowed 
out,  into  which  the  sap  was  to  be  gathered.  Little 
troughs  of  basswood  and  birchen  basins  were  also 
made  to  receive  the  sweet  drops  as  they  trickled 
from  the  tree. 

As  soon  as  these  labors  were  accomplished,  we  all 
proceeded  to  the  bark  sugar  house,  which  stood  in 
the  midst  of  a  fine  grove  of  maples  on  the  bank  of 


30  Indian  Boyhood 

the  Minnesota  river.  We  found  this  hut  partially 
filled  with  the  snows  of  winter  and  the  withered 
leaves  of  the  preceding  autumn,  and  it  must  be 
cleared  for  our  use.  In  the  meantime  a  tent  was 
pitched  outside  for  a  few  days*  occupancy.  The 
snow  was  still  deep  in  the  woods,  with  a  solid  crust 
upon  which  we  could  easily  walk ;  for  we  usually 
moved  to  the  sugar  house  before  the  sap  had  act 
ually  started,  the  better  to  complete  our  prepara 
tions. 

My  grandmother  worked  like  a  beaver  in  these 
days  (or  rather  like  a  muskrat,  as  the  Indians  say  ; 
for  this  industrious  little  animal  sometimes  collects 
as  many  as  six  or  eight  bushels  of  edible  roots  for 
the  winter,  only  to  be  robbed  of  his  store  by  some 
of  our  people).  If  there  was  prospect  of  a  good 
sugaring  season,  she  now  made  a  second  and  even 
a  third  canoe  to  contain  the  sap.  These  canoes 
were  afterward  utilized  by  the  hunters  for  their 
proper  purpose. 

During  our  last  sugar-making  in  Minnesota,  be 
fore  the  "  outbreak,"  my  grandmother  was  at  work 
upon  a  canoe  with  her  axe,  while  a  young  aunt  of 
mine  stood  by.  We  boys  were  congregated  with 
in  the  large,  oval  sugar  house,  busily  engaged  in 
making  arrows  for  the  destruction  of  the  rabbits 
and  chipmunks  which  we  knew  would  come  in 


x- 


An  Indian  Sugar  Camp  3 1 

numbers  to  drink  the  sap.  The  birds  also  were 
beginning  to  return,  and  the  cold  storms  of  March 
would  drive  them  to  our  door.  I  was  then  too 
young  to  do  much  except  look  on  ;  but  I  fully  en 
tered  into  the  spirit  of  the  occasion,  and  rejoiced 
to  see  the  bigger  boys  industriously  sharpen  their 
arrows,  resting  them  against  the  ends  of  the  long 
sticks  which  were  burning  in  the  fire,  and  occasion 
ally  cutting  a  chip  from  the  stick.  In  their  eager 
ness  they  paid  little  attention  to  this  circumstance, 
although  they  well  knew  that  it  was  strictly  for-  \v/ 
bidden  to  touch  a  knife  to  a  burning  ember.  ^/ f^ 

Suddenly  loud  screams  were  heard  from  without 
and  we  all  rushed  out  to  see  what  was  the  matter. 
It  was  a  serious  affair.  My  grandmother's  axe 
had  slipped,  and  by  an  upward  stroke  nearly  sev 
ered  three  of  the  fingers  of  my  aunt,  who  stood 
looking  on,  with  her  hands  folded  upon  her  waist. 
As  we  ran  out  the  old  lady,  who  had  already  no 
ticed  and  reproved  our  carelessness  in  regard  to  the 
burning  embers,  pursued  us  with  |oudjreproaches 
and^threats^ofj.  whipping.  This  will  seem  mys 
terious  to  my  readers,  but  is  easily  explained  by  the 
Indian  superstition,  which  holds  that  such  an 
offense  as  we  had  committed  is  invariabll^_£unishecf\ 
by  the  accidental  cutting  of  some  one  of  the  farmT 

My   grandmother  did  not  confine   herself  ri 


2  2  Indian  Boyhood 

canoe-making.  She  also  collected  a  good  supply 
of  fuel  for  the  fires,  for  she  would  not  have  much 
time  to  gather  wood  when  the  sap  began  to  flow. 
Presently  the  weather  moderated  and  the  snow  be 
gan  to  melt.  The  month  of  April  brought  show 
ers  which  carried  most  of  it  off  into  the  Minnesota 
river.  Now  the  women  began  to  test  the  trees  — 
moving  leisurely  among  them,  axe  in  hand,  and 
striking  a  single  quick  blow,  to  see  if  the  sap  would 
appear.  The  trees,  like  people,  have  their  indi 
vidual  characters  ;  some  were  ready  to  yield  up  their 
life-blood,  while  others  were  more  reluctant.  Now 
one  of  the  birchen  basins  was  set  under  each  tree, 
and  a  hardwood  chip  driven  deep  into  the  cut 
which  the  axe  had  made.  From  the  corners  of  this 
chip  —  at  first  drop  by  drop,  then  more  freely  — 
the  sap  trickled  into  the  little  dishes. 

It  is  usual  to  make  sugar  from  maples,  but  sev 
eral  other  trees  were  also  tapped  by  the  Indians. 
/From  the  birch  and  ash  was  made  a  dark-colored 
sJi  sugar,  with  a  somewhat  bitter  taste,  which  was  used 
'  {jpr  medicinal  purposes.  The  box-elder  yielded  a 
beautiful  white  sugar,  whose  only  fault  was  that 
there  was  never  enough  of  it ! 

A  long  fire  was  now  made  in  the  sugar  house, 
and  a  row  of  brass  kettles  suspended  over  the 
blaze.  The  sap  was  collected  by  the  women  in 


An  Indian  Sugar  Camp  33 

tin  or  birchen  buckets  and  poured  into  the  canoes, 
from  which  the  kettles  were  kept  filled.  The 
hearts  of  the  boys  beat  high  with  pleasant  antici 
pations  when  they  heard  the  welcome  hissing  sound 
of  the  boiling  sap  !  Each  boy  claimed  one  kettle 
for  his  especial  charge.  It  was  his  duty  to  see  that 
the  fire  was  kept  up  under  it,  to  watch  lest  it  boil 
over,  and  finally,  when  the  sap  became  sirup,  to 
test  it  upon  the  snow,  dipping  it  out  with  a 
wooden  paddle.  So  frequent  were  these  tests  I 
that  for  the  first  day  or  two  we  consumed  nearly^J 
all  that  could  be  made ;  and  it  was  not  until  the 
sweetness  began  to  pall  that  my  grandmother  set 
herself  in  earnest  to  store  up  sugar  for  future  use. 
She  made  it  into  cakes  of  various  forms,  in  birch 
en  molds,  and  sometimes  in  hollow  canes  or  reeds, 
and  the  bills  of  ducks  and  geese.  Some  of  it  was 
pulverized  and  packed  in  rawhide  cases.  Being 
a  prudent  woman,  she  did  not  give  it  to  us  after 
the  first  month  or  so,  except  upon  special  occa 
sions,  and  it  was  thus  made  to  last  almost  th 
year  around.  The  smaller  candies  were  reserved 
as  an  occasional  treat  for  the  little  fellows,  and  the\  v/ 
sugar  was  eaten  at  feasts  with  wild  rice  or  parched^r 
corn,  and  also  with  pounded  dried  meat.  Coffee 
and  tea,  with  their  substitutes,  were  all  unknown 
to  us  in  those  days. 


A 

V 

\   i 


34  Indian  Boyhood 

Every  pursuit  has  its  trials  and  anxieties.  My 
grandmother's  special  tribulations,  during  the 
sugaring  season,  were  the  upsetting  and  gnawing 
of  holes  in  her  birch-bark  pans.  The  transgres 
sors  were  the  rabbit  and  squirrel  tribes,  and  we 
little  boys  for  once  became  useful,  in  shooting 
them  with  our  bows  and  arrows.  We  hunted  all 
over  the  sugar  camp,  until  the  little  creatures 
were  fairly  driven  out  of  the  neighborhood.  Oc 
casionally  one  of  my  older  brothers  brought  home 
a  rabbit  or  two,  and  then  we  had  a  feast. 

The  sugaring  season  extended  well  into  April, 
and  the  returning  birds  made  the  precincts  of  our 
camp  joyful  with  their  songs.  I  often  followed 
my  older  brothers  into  the  woods,  although  I  was 
thenTnit  four  or  five  years  old.  ^JJjlQjPL-QJie  of 
these  excursions~they  wenrTso  far  that_JLventured 
Ba^jJone.  WKen  within  sight  of  our  hut,  I  saw 
a  chipmunk  sitting  upon  a  log,  and  uttering  the 
sound  he  makes  when  he  calls  to  his  mate.  How 
glorious  it  would  be,  I  thought,  if  I  could  shoot 
him  with  my  tiny  bow  and  arrows  !  Stealthily 
and  cautiously  I  approached,  keeping  my  eyes 
upon  the  pretty  little  animal,  and  just  as  I  was 
about  to  let  fly  my  shaft,  I  heard  a  hissing  noise 
,  at  my  feet.  There  lay_a  horrid  snake^coilejLand 
^>  readyto_spring  !  Forgetful  that  I  was  a  warrior, 


An  Indian  Sugar  Camp  35 

I  gave  a  loud__so:^m_  aj^  ;  but    , 

soon  recollecting  myself  looked  down  with  shame/^ 
although  no  one  was  near.  However,  I  retreated 
to  the  inclined  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree,  and  there,  as 
I  have  often  been  told,  was  overheard  soliloquiz 
ing  in  the  following  words  :  "  I  wonder  if  a  snake 
can  climb  a  tree  !  " 

I  remember  on  this  occasion  of  our  last  sugar 
bush  in  Minnesota,  that  I  stood  one  day  outside 
of  our  hut  and  watched  the  approach  of  a  visitor 
— a  bent  old  man,  his  hair  almost  white,  and 
carrying  on  his  back  a  large  bundle  of  red  willow, 
or  kinnikinick,  which  the  Indians  use  for  smoking. 
He  threw  down  his  load  at  the  door  and  thus  : 

saluted  us  :  "  You  have  indeed  perfect  weather  for^.  f^/jfa^ 
sugar-making."  \X 

It  was  my  great-grandfather,  Ooud  Man, 
whose  original  village  was  on  the  shores  of  Lakes 
Calhoun  and  Harriet,  now  in  the  suburbs  of  the 
city  of  Minneapolis.  He  was  the  first  Sioux  chief 
to  welcome  the  Protestant  missionaries  among  his 
people,  and  a  well-known  character  in  those  pio- 
Oieerjiays.  He  brought  us  word  that  some  of 
the  peaceful  sugar-makers  near  us  on  the  river 
had  been  attacked  and  murdered  by  roving  Ojib- 
ways.  This  news  disturbed  us  not  a  little,  for  we 
realized  that  we  too  might  become  the  victims  of 


3  6  Indian  Boyhood 

an  Ojibway  war  party.  Therefore  we  all  felt 
some  uneasiness  from  this  time  until  we  returned 
heavy  laden  to  our  village. 

V:   A  Midsummer  Feast 

T  was  midsummer.       Everything 
that  the  Santee  Sioux  had  under 
taken  during  the  year  had  been  un 
usually    successful.     The    sprii 
fur-hunter^   had    been    fortunate, 
anoTFieheavy  winter  had  proved 
productive  of  much  maple  sugar.      The  women's 
I  [   patches  of  maize  and  potatoes  were  already  suffic- 
\/V  iently  advanced  to  use.     The  Wahpetonwan  band 
of  Sioux,  the  "  Dwellers  among  the  Leaves,"  were 
fully  awakened  to  the  fact  that  it  was  almost  time 
for   the^  midsummer   festivities  of  the  old,  wild 
o!ays. 

The   invitations  were  bundles  of  tobacco,  and 
V"  acceptances  were  sent  back  from  the  various  bands 

-the  "Light  Lodges  ",  "  Dwellers    back    from 
the  River,"  and  many  others,  in  similar  fashion. 
Blue  Earth,  chief  of  the   "  Dwellers  among  the 
\_Leayes,"  was  the  host. 

There  were  to  be  many  different  kinds  of  ath- 
,      letic  games ;   indeed,  the  festival  was  something 
lUce__a__^te_jfairi  in  that   there  were   many  side 


1 


A  Midsummer  Feast  37 

allQ^s_ajTd__CQj3ipetitive  events.    For  instance,  su^\ 
posing  that  (Miss)  White  Rabbit  should  desire  to  I 
give  a  "  maidens*  feast,'*  she  would  employ  a  crier  r^ 
to  go  among  the  different  bands  announcing  the] 
fact  in  a  sing-song  manner  : 

"  Miss  White  Rabbit  will  receive  her  maiden 
friends  to-day  at  noon,  inside  of  the  circular  en 
campment  of  the  Kaposia  band."  — 

Again,  should  (Mr.)  Sleepy  Eye  wish  to  have 
his  child's  ears  pierced  publicly,  he  would  have  to 


give  away  a  great  deal  of  savage  wealth  —  namely, 
otter,  bear  and  beaver  skins  and  ponies  —  or  the 
"child  would  not  be  considered  as  belonging  to  a 
family  in  good  standing. 

But  the  one  all-important  event  o£the  occasion 
was  the  lacrosse  gameT  for  which  it  had  been  cus 
tomary  to  select  those  two  bands  which  could 
boast  the  greater  number  of  fast  runners. 

The  Wahpetonwan  village  on  the  banks  of  the 
Minnesota  river  was  alive  with  the  newly-arrived 
guests  and  the  preparations  for  the  coming  even£^ 
Meat  of  wild  game  had  been  put  away  with  much 
care  during  the  previous  fall  in  anticipation  of 
feast.  There  was  wild  rice  and  the  choicest  ol 
dried  venison  that  had  been  kept  all  winter,  as 
well  as  freshly  dug  turnips,  ripe  berries  and  an 
abundance  of  fresh  meat. 


x 


3  8  Indian  Boyhood 

Along  the  edge  of  the  woods  the  teepees  were 
pitched  in  groups  or  semi-circles,  each  band  dis 
tinct  from  the  others.  The  teepee  of  Mankato  or 
Blue  Earth  was  pitched  in  a  conspicuous  spot. 
Just  over  the  entrance  was  painted  in  red  and  yel 
low  a  picture  of  a  pipe,  and  directly  opposite  this 
p  ^  ,  j^  ^-^the  rising  sun.  The  painting  was  symbolic  of 
welcome  and  good  will  to  men  under  the  bright 
sun. 

'^A  meeting  was  held  to  appoint  some  "  medi 
cine  man  "  to  make  the  balls  that  were  to  be  used 
in  the  lacrosse  contest ;  and  presently  the  herald 
announced  that  this  honor  had  been  conferred 
upon  old  Chankpee-yuhah,  or  "  Keeps  the  Club," 
while  every  other  man  of  his  profession  was  dis 
appointed.  He  was  a  powerful  man  physically, 
who  had  apparently  won  the  confidence  of  the 
people  by  his  fine  personal  appearance  and  by 
,^working  upon  superstitious  minds. 

Towards  evening  he  appeared  in  the  circle, 
leading  by  the  hand  a  boy  about  four  years  old. 
Closely  the  little  fellow  observed  every  motion  of 
the  man  ;  nothing  escaped  his  vigilant  black  eyes, 
which  seemed  constantly  to  grow  brighter  and 
larger,  while  his  exuberant  glossy  black  hair  was 
plaited  and  wound  around  his  head  like  that  of 
a  Celestial.  He  wore  a  bit  of  swan's  down  in 


A  Midsummer  Feast  39 

each  ear,  which  formed  a  striking  contrast  with 
the  child's  complexion.  Further  than  this,  the 
boy  was  painted  according  to  the  fashion  of  the 
age.  He  held  in  his  hands  a  miniature  bow  and 
arrows. 

The  medicine  man  drew  himself  up  in  an  ad 
mirable  attitude,  and  proceeded  to  make  his  short 
speech : 

"  Wahpetonwans,  you  boast  that  you  run  down 
the  elk  ;  you  can  outrun  the  Ojibways.  Before 
you  all,  I  dedicate  to  you  this  red  ball.  Kaposias, 
you  claim  that  no  one  has  a  lighter  foot  than  you  ; 
you  declare  that  you  can  endure  running  a  whole 
day  without  water.  To  you  I  dedicate  this  black 
ball.  Either  you  or  the  Leaf-Dwellers  will  have 
to  drop  your  eyes  and  bow  ,your  heacj  when  the 
game  is  over.  I  wish  to  announce  that  if  the 
Wahpetonwans  should  win,  this  little  warrior  shall 
bear  the  name  Ohiyesa  (winner)  through  life;  but 
if  the  Light  Lodges  should  win,  let  the  name  be 
given  to  any  child  appointed  by  them." 

The  ground  selected  for  the  great  final  game 
was  on  a  narrow  strip  of  land  between  a  lake  and 
the  river.  It  was  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile 
long  and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  width.  The  spec 
tators  had  already  ranged  themselves  all  along  the 
two  sides,  as  well  as  at  the  two  ends,  which  were 


40  Indian  Boyhood 

somewhat  higher  than  the  middle.     The  soldiers 

appointed  to  keep  order  furnished  much  of  the 

/  entertainment  of  the  day.  They  painted  artistically 

PNr-and  tastefully,  according  to  the  Indian  fashion,  not 

only  their  bodies  but  also  their  ponies  and  clubs. 

/  They  were  so  strict  in  enforcing  the  laws  that  no 

one  could  venture  with  safety  within  a  few  feet  of 

\the  limits  of  the  field. 

Now  all  of  the  minor  events  and  feasts,  occupy 
ing  several  days'  time,  had  been  observed.     Her 
alds  on  ponies*  backs  announced  that  all  who  in 
tended  to  participate  in  the  final  game  were  re 
quested  to  repair  to  the  ground ;  also  that  if  any 
Ns£pne  bore  a  grudge  against  another,  he  was  im- 
'     plored   to   forget  his  ill-feeling  until  the  contest 
should  be  over. 

The  most  powerful  men  were  stationed  at  the 
half-way  ground,  while  the  fast  runners  were  as 
signed  to  the  back.  It  was  an  impressive  spectacle 
—  a  fine  collection  of  agile  forms,  almost  stripped 
of  garments  and  painted  in  wild  imitation  of  the 
rainbow  and  sunset  sky  on  human  canvas.  Some 
had  undertaken  to  depict  the  Milky  Way  across 
their  tawny  bodies,  and  one  or  two  made  a  bold 
attempt  to  reproduce  the  lightning.  Others  con 
tented  themselves  with  painting  the  figure  of  some 
fleet  animal  or  swift  bird  on  their  muscular  chests. 


A  Midsummer  Feast  41 

The  coiffure  of  the  Sioux  lacrosse  player  has 
often  been  unconsciously  imitated  by  the  fashion 
able  hair-dressers  of  modern  times.  Some  banged 
and  singed  their  hair;  others  did  a  little  more\<^ 
by  adding  powder.  The  Grecian  knot  was  lo 
cated  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  head,  being  tied 
tightly  over  the  forehead.  A  great  many  simply 
brushed  back  their  long  locks  and  tied  them  with 
a  strip  of  otter  skin. 

At  the  middle  of  the  ground  were  stationed  four 
immense  men,  magnificently  formed.  A  fifth  ap 
proached  this  group,  paused  a  moment,  and  then 
threw  his  head  back,  gazed  up  into  the  sky  in  the 
manner  of  a  cock  and  gave  a  smooth,  clear  oper 
atic  tone.  Instantly  the  little  black  ball  went  up 
between  the  two  middle  rushers,  in  the  midst  of 
yells,  cheers  and  war-whoops.  Both  men  en 
deavored  to  catch  it  in  the  air  ;  but  alas  !  each  in 
terfered  with  the  other ;  then  the  guards  on  each 
side  rushed  upon  them.  For  a  time,  a  hundred 
lacrosse  sticks  vied  with  each  other,  and  the  wrig 
gling  human  flesh  and  paint  were  all  one  could  see 
through  the  cloud  of  dust.  Suddenly  there  shot 
swiftly  through  the  air  toward  the  south,  toward  the 
Kaposias'  goal,  the  ball.  There  was  a  general  cheer 
from  their  adherents,  which  echoed  back  from  the 
white  cliff  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Minnesota. 


42  Indian  Boyhood 

As  the  ball  flew  through  the  air,  two  adver 
saries  were  ready  to  receive  it.  The  Kaposia 
quickly  met  the  ball,  but  failed  to  catch  it  in  his 
netted  bag,  for  the  other  had  swung  his  up  like  a 
flash.  Thus  it  struck  the  ground,  but  had  no  op 
portunity  to  bound  up  when  a  Wahpeton  pounced 
upon  it  like  a  cat  and  slipped  out  of  the  grasp  of 
his  opponents.  A  mighty  cheer  thundered  through 
the  air. 

The  warrior  who  had  undertaken  to  pilot  the 
little  sphere  was  risking  much,  for  he  must  dodge 
a  host  of  Kaposias  before  he  could  gain  any  ground. 
He  was  alert  and  agile ;  now  springing  like  a 
panther,  now  leaping  like  a  deer  over  a  stooping 
opponent  who  tried  to  seize  him  around  the  waist. 
Every  opposing  player  was  upon  his  heels,  while 
those  of  his  own  side  did  all  in  their  power  to 
clear  the  way  for  him.  But  it  was  all  in  vain. 
He  only  gained  fifty  paces. 

Thus  the  game  went.  First  one  side,  then  the 
other  would  gain  an  advantage,  and  then  it  was  lost, 
until  the  herald  proclaimed  that  it  was  time  to  change 
the  ball.  No  victory  was  in  sight  for  either  side. 

After  a  few  minutes'  rest,  the  game  was  resumed. 
The  red  ball  was  now  tossed  in  the  air  in  the  usual 
way.  No  sooner  had  it  descended  than  one  of  the 
rushers  caught  it  and  away  it  went  northward ; 


A  Midsummer  Feast  43 

again  it  was  fortunate,  for  it  was  advanced  by  one 
of  the  same  side.  The  scene  was  now  one  of  the 
wildest  excitement  and  confusion.  At  last,  tl  * 
northward  flight  of  the  ball  was  checked  for  a 
moment  and  a  desperate  struggle  ensued.  Cheers 
and  war-whoops  became  general,  such  as  were 
never  equaled  in  any  concourse  of  savages,  and 
possibly  nowhere  except  at  a  college  game  of  foot 
ball. 

The  ball  had  not  been  allowed  to  come  to  the 
surface  since  it  reached  this  point,  for  there  were 
more  than  a  hundred  men  who  scrambled  for  it. 
Suddenly  a  warrior  shot  out  of  the  throng  like  the 
ball  itself !  Then  some  of  the  players  shouted : 
"  Look  out  for  Antelope !  Look  out  for  Antelope !" 
But  it  was  too  late.  The  little  sphere  had  already 
nestled  into  Antelope's  palm  and  that  fleetest  of 
Wahpetons  had  thrown  down  his  lacrosse  stick  and 
set  a  determined  eye  upon  the  northern  goal. 

Such  a  speed  !  He  had  cleared  almost  all  the 
opponents'  guards — there  were  but  two  more. 
These  were  exceptional  runners  of  the  Kaposias. 
As  he  approached  them  in  his  almost  irresistible 
speed,  every  savage  heart  thumped  louder  in  the 
Indian's  dusky  bosom.  In  another  moment  there 
would  be  a  defeat  for  the  Kaposias  or  a  prolonga 
tion  of  the  game.  The  two  men,  with  a  determined 


44  Indian  Boyhood 

look  approached  their  foe  like  two  panthers  pre 
pared  to  spring ;  yet  he  neither  slackened  his  speed 
nor  deviated  from  his  course.  A  crash — a  mighty 
shout ! — the  two  Kaposias  collided,  and  the  swift 
Antelope  had  won  the  laurels ! 
'  The  turmoil  and  commotion  at  the  victors' 

mp  were  indescribable.  A  few  beats  of  a  drum 
were  heard,  after  which  the  criers  hurried  along 
the  lines,  announcing  the  last  act  to  be  performed 
at  the  camp  of  the  "  Leaf  Dwellers." 

The  day  had  been  a  perfect  one.  Every  event 
had  been  a  success  ;  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  the 
old  people  were  happy,  for  they  largely  profited 
by  these  occasions.  Within  the  circle  formed  by 
the  general  assembly  sat  in  a  group  the  members 
of  the  common  council.  Blue  Earth  arose,  and 
in  a  few  appropriate  and  courteous  remarks  as- 

sured  his  guests  that  it  was  not  selfishness  that  led 

^  . 

His  braves  to  carry  ofF  tHe~honors  of  the  last  event, 
but  that  this  was  a  friendly  contest  in  which  each 
band  must  assert  its  prowess.  In  memory  of  this 
victory,  the  boy  would  now  receive  his  name.  A 
loud"  Ho-o-o  "  of  approbation  reverberated  from 
the  edge  of  the  forest  upon  the  Minnesota's 
bank. 

Half  frightened,  the  little  fellow  was  now 
brought  into  the  circle,  looking  very  much  as  if  he 


A  Midsummer  Feast  45 

were  about  to  be  executed.  Cheer  after  cheer 
went  up  for  the  awe-stricken  boy.  Chankpee-yuhah, 
the  medicine  man,  proceeded  to  confer  the  name. 
"  Ohiyesa  (or  Winner)  shall  be  thy  name  hence 
forth.  Be  brave,  be  patient  and  thou  shalt  always 
win  !  Thy  name  is  Ohiyesa." 


An  Indian  Boy  s  Training 


An  Indian  Boy  s  Training 

IT  is  commonly  supposed  that  there 
is  no  systematic  education  of  their 
children  among  the  aborigines  of 
this  country.      Nothing  could 
jarther  from  the  truth.  All  the  cus 
toms  of  this  primitive  peoplejwerg, 
i  to  be  divinely  instituted,  and  those  in  connec 
tion  with  the  training  of  children  were  scrupulously 
adhered  to  and  transmitted  from  one  generation  to 
another. 

The  expectant  parents  conjointly  bent  all  their 
efforts  to  the  task  of  giving  the  new-comer  the  best 
they  could  gather  from  a  long  line  of  ancestors.  A 
pregnant  Indian  woman  would  often  choose  one  of 
the  greatest  characters  of  her  family  and  tribe  as  a 
model  for  her  child.  This  hero  was  daily  called 
to  mind.  She  would  gather  from  tradition  all  of 
his  noted  deeds  and  daring  exploits, rehearsingthem 
to  herself  when  alone.  In  order  that  the  impres 
sion  might  be  more  distinct,  she  avoided  company. 


50  Indian  Boyhood 

I  She  isolated  herself  as  much  as  possible,  and  wan- 
/   dered  in  solitude,  not  thoughtlessly,  but  with  an 
eye  to  the  impress  given  by  grand  and  beautiful 
L  scenery. 

The  Indians  believed,  also,  that  certain  kinds  of 
animals  would  confer  peculiar  gifts  upon  the  un- 
/  born,  while  others  would  leave  so  strong  an  adverse 
impression  that  the  child  might  become  a  monstros 
ity.  A  case  of  hare-lip  was  commonly  attributed 
to  the  rabbit.  It  was  said  that  a  rabbit  had  charmed 
the  mother  and  given  to  the  babe  its  own  features. 
Even  the  meat  of  certain  animals  was  denied  the 
pregnant  woman,  because  it  was  supposed  to  influ 
ence  the  disposition  or  features  of  the  child. 

Scarcely  was  the  embyro  warrior  ushered  into  the 
.  (  world,  when  he  was  met  by  lullabies  that  speak  of 
r^V.  wonderful  exploits  in  hunting  and  war.  Those 
ideas  which  so  fully  occupied  his  mother's  mind 
before  his  birth  are  now  put  into  words  by  all  about 
the  child,  who  is  as  yet  quite  unresponsive  to  their 
appeals  to  his  honor  and  ambition.  He  is  called 
the  future  defender  of  his  people,  whose  lives  may 
depend  upon  his  courage  and  skill.  If  the  child 
is  a  girl,  she  is  at  once  addressed  as  the  future 
mother  of  a  noble  race. 

—  _  -^ 

In  hunting  songs,  the  leading  animals  are  intro 
duced  ;  they  come  to  the  boy  to  offer  their  bodies 


An  Indian  Boy  s  Training  5  i 

for  the  sustenance  of  his  tribe.  The  animals  are 
regarded  as  his  friends,  and  spoken  of  almost  as 
tribes  of  people,  or  as  his  cousins,  grandfathers  and 
grandmothers.  The  songs  of  wooing,  adapted  as 
lullabies,  were  equally  imagmatiye,  and  the  suitors 
were  often  animals  personified,  while  pretty  maid 
ens  were  represented  by  the  mink  and  the  doe. 

Very  early,  the  Indian  boy  assumed  the  task  of 
preserving  and  transmitting  the  legends  of  his  an 
cestors  and  his  race.  -A1HLQ5L  ^v^ry  ftYeninj 
myth,  or  a  true  story  of  some  deed  done  in  the 
past,  was  narrated  by  one  of  the  parents  or  grand 
parents,  while  the  boy  listened  with  parted  lips  and 
glistening  eyes.  On^the  following  evening,  Jie_was_ 
usuallyrequired  to  repeat  it.  If  he  was  not  an  apt 
Tcholar^  he  struggled  long  with  his  task;  but,  as  a 
rule,  the  Indian  boy  is  a  good  listener  and  has  a  good 
memory,  so  that  the  stories  were  tolerably  well  mas 
tered.  The  household  became  his  audience, 
by  which  he  was  alternately  criticized  and  ap 
plauded. 

This  sort  of  teaching  at  once  enlightens  the  boy's 
mind  and  stimulates  his  ambition.  Jjjs  concep- 
tion  ofhis  own  future  career Jjecomesji  vivid  and 
irresistible  force.  Whatever  there  is  for  him  to 
learn  must  be  learned  ;  whatever  qualifications  are 
necessary  to  a  truly  great  man  he  must  seek  at  any 


52  Indian  Boyhood 

expense  of  danger  and  hardship.  Such  was  the 
feeling  of  the  imaginative  and  brave  young  Indian. 
It  became  apparent  to  him  in  early  life  that  he 
must  accustom  himself  to  rove  alone  and  not 

fear  or  dislike  the  impression  of  solitude. 

It  seems  to  be  a  popular  idea  that  all  the  char 
acteristic  skill  of  the  Indian  is  instinctive  and 
hereditary.  This  is  a  mistake.  All  the  stoicism 
and  patience  of  the  Indian  are  acquired  traits,  and 
continual  practise  alone  makes  him  master  of  the  art 
of  wood-craft.  Physical  training  and  dieting  were  not 
neglected.  I  remember  that  I  was  not  allowed  to 
have  beef  soup  or  any  warm  drink.  The  soup 
was  for  the  old  men.  General  rules  for  the  young 
were  never  to  take  their  food  very  hot,  nor  to 
drink  much  water. 

My  uncle,  who  educated  me  up  to  the  age 
of  fifteen  years,  was  a  strict  disciplinarian  and  a 
good  teacher.  When  I  left  the  teepee  in  the 
/morning,  he  would  say :  "  Hakadah,  look  closely 
r\to  everything  you  see  ";  and  at  evening,  on  my  re- 
f[  turn,  he  used  often  to  catechize  me  for  an  hour 

so. 

"On  which  side  of  the  trees  is  the  lighter-col 
ored  bark  ?  On  which  side  do  they  have  most 
regular  branches  ?  " 

It    was    his    custom    to    let    me    name  all  the 


An  Indian  Boy's  Training  53 

new  birds  that  I  had  seen  during  the  day.  I 
would  name  them  according  to  the  color  or 
the  shape  of  the  bill  or  their  song  or  the  appearance 
and  locality  of  the  nest  —  in  fact,  anything  about 
the  bird  that  impressed  me  as  characteristic.  I 
made  many  ridiculous  errors,  I  must  admit.  He 
then  usually  informed  me  of  the  correct  name. 
Occasionally  I  made  a  hit  and  this  he  would  warm 
ly  commend. 


He  went  much  deeper  into  this  science  when  F 
was  a  little  older,  that  is,  about  the  age  of  eight  or 
nine  years.  He  would  say,  for  instance : 

"  How  do  you  know  that  there  are  fish  in 
yonder  lake  ?  " 

"  Because  they  jump  out  of  the  water  for  flies 
at  mid-day." 

He  would  smile  at  my  prompt  but  superficial 
reply. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  little  pebbles 
grouped  together  under  the  shallow  water  ?  and 
what  made  the  pretty  curved  marks  in  the 
sandy  bottom  and  the  little  sand- banks  ?  Where 
do  you  find  the  fish-eating  birds  ?  Have  the  in 
let  and  the  outlet  of  a  lake  anything  to  do  with  the 
question  ?  " 

He  did  not  expect  a  correct  reply  at  once  to  all 
the  'voTum^us^uiE^  pnt  t°  me  on 


54  Indian  Boyhood 

thesej)ccasions,  but^he  meant  to  make  meobserv- 
anfjintf  a  fton^  student  of  nature. 

Hakadah,"  he  would  say  to  me,  "  you  ought 
to  follow  the  example  of  the  shunktokecha  (wolf). 
Even  when  he  is  surprised  and  runs  for  his  life,  he 
will  pause  to  take  one  more  look  at  you  before  he 
enters  his  final  retreat.  So  you  must  take  a  sec- 
look  at  everything  you  see. 
It  is  better  to  view  animals  unobserved.  I 
fiave  been  a  witness  to  their  courtships  and  their 
quarrels  and  have  learned  many  of  their  secrets  in 
this  way.  I  was  once  the  unseen  spectator  of  a 
thrilling  battle  between  a  pair  of  grizzly  bears  and 
three  buffaloes  —  a  rash  act  for  the  bears,  for  it  was 
in  the  moon  of  strawberries,  when  the  buffaloes 
sharpen  and  polish  their  horns  for  bloody  con 
tests  among  themselves. 

"  I  advise  you,  my  boy,  never  to  approach  a 
grizzly's  den  from  the  front,  but  to  steal  up  be 
hind  and  throw  your  blanket  or  a  stone  in  front  of 
the  hole.  He  does  not  usually  rush  for  it,  but 
first  puts  his  head  out  and  listens  and  then  comes 
out  very  indifferently  and  sits  on  his  haunches  on 
the  mound  in  front  of  the  hole  before  he  makes  any 
attack.  While  he  is  exposing  himself  in  this 
fashion,  aim  at  his  heart.  Always  be  as  cool  as  die 
animal  himself."  Thus  he  armed  me  against  the 


An  Indian  Boy's  Training  55 

cunning  of  savage  beasts  by  teaching  me  how  to 
outwit  them. 

"  In  hunting,"  he  would  resume,  "  you  will  be 
guided  by  the  habits  of  the  animal  you  seek.  Re 
member  that  a  moose  stays  in  swampy  or  low  land 
or  between  high  mountains  near  a  spring  or  lake, 
for  thirty  to  sixty  days  at  a  time.  Most  large  game 
moves  about  continually,  except  the  doe  in  the 
spring ;  it  is  then  a  very  easy  matter  to  find  her 
with  the  fawn.  Conceal  yourself  in  a  convenient 
place  as  soon  as  you  observe  any  signs  of  the 
presence  of  either,  and  then  call  with  your  birchen 
doe-caller. 

"  Whichever  one  hears  you  first  will  soon  appear 
in  your  neighborhood.  But  you  must  be  very 
watchful,  or  you  may  be  made  a  fawn  of  by  a  large 
wild-cat.  They  understand  the  characteristic  call 
of  the  doe  perfectly  well. 

"  When  you  have  any  difficulty  with  a  bear  or 
a  wild-cat  —  that  is,  if  the  creature  shows  signs  of 
attacking  you  —  you  must  make  him  fully  under 
stand  that  you  have  seen  him  and  are  aware  of  his 
intentions.  If  you  are  not  well  equipped  for  a 
pitched  battle,  the  only  way  to  make  him  retreat  is 
to  take  a  long  sharp-pointed  pole  for  a  spear  and 
rush  toward  him.  No  wild  beast  will  face  this  un 
less  he  is  cornered  and  already  wounded.  These 


56  Indian  Boyhood 

fierce  beasts  are  generally  afraid  of  the  common 
weapon  of  the  larger  animals  —  the  horns,  and  if 
these  are  very  long  and  sharp,  they  dare  not  risk 
an  open  fight. 

"  There  is  one  exception  to  this  rule  —  the  grey 
wolf  will  attack  fiercely  when  very  hungry.  But 
their  courage  depends  upon  their  numbers ;  in  this 
are~irEe~~white  men.  One  wolf  or  two  will 


"never  attack  a  man.  They  will  stampede  a  herd 
of  buffaloes  in  order  to  get  at  the  calves  ;  they  will 
rush  upon  a  herd  of  antelopes,  for  these  are  help 
less  ;  but  they  are  always  careful  about  attacking 
man." 

Of  this  nature  were  the  instructions  of  my 
uncle,  who  was  widely  known  at  that  time  as 
among  the  greatest  hunters  of  his  tribe. 

All  boys  were  expected  to  endure  hardship 
without  complaint.  In  savage  warfare,  a  young 
man  must,  of  course,  be  an  athlete  and  used  to 
undergoing  all  sorts  of  privations.  He  must  be 

/able  to  go  without  food  and  water  for  two  or  three 
*    I  days  without  displaying  any  weakness,  or  to  run 

\for_a  day  and  a  night  without  any  rest.  He  must 
be  able  to  traverse  a  pathless  and  wild  country 
without  losing  his  way  either  in  the  day  or  night 
time.  He  cannot  refuse  to  do  any  of  these  things 
if  he  aspires  to  be  a  warrior. 


An  Indian  Boy's  Training  57 

+v^ 

Sometimes  my  uncle  would  waken  me  very 
early  in  the  morning  and  challenge  me  to  fas£ 
ith  him  all  day.  I  had  to  accept  the  challenge, 
blackened  our  faces  with  charcoal,  so  that 
boy  in  the  village  would  know  that  I  was 
sting  for  the  day.  Then  the  little  tempters 
would  make  my  life  a  misery  until  the  merci 
ful  sun  hid  behind  the  western  hills. 
•*-•-  .-•—• .^^ 

I  can   scarcely  recall  the  time  when  my  sternN 
teacher  began  to  give  sudden   war-whoops  over    \ 
my  head  in  the  morning  while  I  was  sound  asleep.         /\ 
He  expected  me  to  leap  up  with  perfect  presence     I 
of  mind,  always  ready  to  grasp  a  weapon  of  some^^ 
sort  and   to  give  a  shrill  whoop  in  reply.     If  I 
was   sleepy  or  startled  and  hardly  knew  what  I  l^, 
was  about,  he  would   ridicule,  me  and  say  that  Ij 
need  never  expect  to  sell  my  scalp  dear.     Often 
he  would  vary  these   tactics  by  shooting  off  his 
gun  just  outside  of  the  lodge  while   I  was    yet 
asleep,  at  the   same   time  giving   blood-curdling 
yells.     After  a  time  I  became  used  to  this.        *v 

When  Indians  went  upon  the  war-path,  it  was]  y- 
their  custom  to  try  the  new  warriors  thoroughlyj 
before  coming  to  an  engagement.     For  instance, 
when  they  were  near  a  hostile  camp,  they  would 
select  the  novices  to  go  after  the  water  and  make 
them  do  all  sorts  of  things  to  prove  their  cour- 


58  Indian  Boyhood 

age.  In  accordance  with  this  idea,  my  uncle  used 
to  send  me  off  after  water  when  we  camped  after 
r-\jdark  in  a  strange  place.  Perhaps  the  country 
was  full  of  wild  beasts,  and,  for  aught  I  knew, 
there  might  be  scouts  from  hostile  bands  of  In 
dians  lurking  in  that  very  neighborhood. 

Yet  I  never  objected,  for  that  would  show  cow 
ardice.     I    picked    my  way  through    the  woods, 
dipped  my  pail  in  the  water  and  hurried  back, 
always   careful    to  make  as   little   noise  as  a  cat. 
Being  only  a  boy,  my  heart  would  leap  at  every 
crackling  of  a   dry  twig  or  distant  hooting  of  an 
owl,  until,  at  last,  I  reached  our  teepee.     Then  my 
uncle  would   perhaps  say  :    "  Ah,  Hakadah,  you 
f  are  a  thorough  warrior/'  empty  out  the  precious 
\/(    contents  of  the  pail,  and  order  me  to  go  a  second 
/\time. 

Imagine  how  I  felt !  But  I  wished  to  be  a 
brave  man  as  much  as  a  white  boy  desires  to  be  a 
great  lawyer  or  even  President  of  the  United 
States.  Silently  I  would  take  the  pail  and  en 
deavor  to  retrace  my  footsteps  in  the  dark. 

With  all    this,  our   manners  and  morals  were 
not  neglected.     I  was  made  to  respect  the  adults 
>)£^"and  especially  the  aged.      I  was    not  allowed  to 
/"join  in  their  discussions,    nor   even    to  speak  in 
presence,  unless  requested   to   do   so.     In- 


An  Indian  Boy  *s  Training  59 

dian  etiquette  was  very  strict,  and  among  the  re 
quirements  was  that  of  avoiding  the  direct  address. 
A  term  of  relationship  or  some  title  of  courtesy 
was  commonly  used  instead  of  the  personal  name 
by  those  who  wished  to  show  respect.  We  were 
taught  generosity  to  the  poor  and  reverence  for  the 
"Great  Mystery."  Religion j^s_jh^basisjof,alk/ 
Indian  training.,,. 

^1  recall  to  the  present  day  some  of  the  kind 
warnings  and  reproofs  that  my  good  grandmother 
was  wont  to  give  me.  "  Be  strong  of  heart  —  be 
patient !  "  she  used  to  say.  She  told  me  of  a 
young  chief  who  was  noted  for  his  uncontrollable 
temper.  While  in  one  of  his  rages  he  attempted 
to  kill^ji  woman,  for  which -he  was  slain  by  his 
own  band  and  left  unburied  as  a  mark  of  disgrace 
—  his  body  was  simply  covered  with  green  grass. 
If  I  ever  lost  my  temper,  she  would  say : 

"  Hakadah,  control  yourself,  or  you  will  be 
like  that  young  man  I  told  you  of,  and  lie  under 
a  green  blanket !  " 

In  the  old  days,  no  young  man  was  allowed  to  1          -^ 
use  tobacco  in  any  form  until  he  had  become  an   I /^  r 
acknowledged  warrior  and  had  achieved  a  recordj 
If  a    youth  should    seek   a    wife  before   he    had   j 
reached  the   age   of  twenty-two  or  twenty-three,    I  f^f 
and   been    recognized    as  a    brave  man,    he    was    \ 


60  Indian  Boyhood 

sneered  at  and  considered  an  ill-bred  Indian.  He 
must  also  be  a  skillful  hunter.  An  Indian  cannot 
be  a  good  husband  unless  he  brings  home  plenty 
of  game. 

These  precepts  were  in  the  line  of  our  training 
for  the  wild  life. 


My  Plays  and  Playmates 


I:    Games  and  Sports 

HE   Indian  boy  was   a  prince  of 
the  wilderness.    He  had  but  very\  x/  • 
little  work  to  do  during  the  period  J 
of  his  boyhood.     His  principal 
occupation  was  the  practice  of  a 
few  simple  arts  in  warfare  and  the 
chase.     Aside   from   this,  he   was   master  of  his 
time. 

Whatever  was  required  of  us  boys  was  quickly 
performed  :  then  the  field  was  clear  for  our  games 
and  plays.  There  was  always  keen  competition 
among  us.  We  felt  very  much  as  our  fathers 
did  in  hunting  and  war  —  each  one  strove  to  ex 
all  the  others. 

It  is  true  that  our  savage  life  was  a  precarious 
one,  and  full  of  dreadful  catastrophes ;  however, 
this  never  prevented  us  from  enjoying  our  sports 
to  the  fullest  extent.  As  we  left  our  teepees  in 
the  morning,  we  were  never  sure  that  our  scalps 
would  not  dangle  from  a  pole  in  the  afternoon  ! 


64  Indian  Boyhood 

It  was  an  uncertain  life,  to  be  sure.  Yet  we  ob 
served  that  the  fawns  skipped  and  played  happily 
while  the  gray  wolves  might  be  peeping  forth 
from  behind  the  hills,  ready  to  tear  them  limb 
from  limb. 

Our  sports  were  molded  by  the  life  and  cus 
toms  of  our  people  ;  indeed,  we  practiced  only 
x/whatjve  expected  to  do  when  grown.  Our  games 
were  feats~with  the  bow  and  arrow,  foot  and  pony 
races,  wrestling,  swimming  and  imitation  of  the 
customs  and  habits  of  our  fathers.  We  had  sham 
fights  with  mud  balls  and  willow  wands;  we  played 
lacrosse,  made  war  upon  bees,  shot  winter  arrows 
(which  were  used  only  in  that  season),  and  coasted 
upon  the  ribs  of  animals  and  buffalo  robes. 

No  sooner  did  the  boys  get  together  than,  as  a 
H-v  usual  thing,  they  divided  into  squads  and  chose 
sides ;  then  a  leading  arrow  was  shot  at  random 
into  the  air.  Before  it  fell  to  the  ground  a  volley 
from  the  bows  of  the  participants  followed.  Each 
player  was  quick  to  note  the  direction  and  speed 
of  the  leading  arrow  and  he  tried  to  send  his  own 
at  the  same  speed  and  at  an  equal  height,  so  that 
when  it  fell  it  would  be  closer  to  the  first  than  any 
of  the  others. 

It  was  considered  out  of  place  to  shoot  by  first 
sighting  the  object  aimed  at.  This  was  usually 


Games  and  Sports  65 

impracticable  in  actual  life,  because  the  object  was 

almost  always  in  motion,  while  the  hunter  himself 

was  often  upon  the  back  of  a  pony  at  full  gallop. 

Therefore,  it  was  the  off-hand  shot  that  the  Indian 

boy  sought  to  master.     There  was  another  game 

with  arrows  that  was  characterized  by  gambling,        I  j/^' 

and  was  generally  confined  to  the  men.          LvtfT 

T^heraces^w£rej^  At 

noon  the  boys  were  usually  gathered  by  some 
pleasant  sheet  of  water  and  as  soon  as  the  ponies 
were  watered,  they  were  allowed  to  graze  for 
an  hour  or  two,  while  the  boys  stripped  for  their 
noonday  sports.  A  boy  might  say  to  some  other 
whom  he  considered  his  equal : 

"  I  can't  run  ;  but  I  will  challenge  you  to  fifty  "^C 
paces." 

A  former  hero,  when  beaten,  would  often  ex 
plain  his  defeat  by  saying  :  "  I  drank  too  much 
water." 

Boys  of  all  ages  were  paired  for  a  "spin,"  and 
the  little  red  men  cheered  on  their  favorites  with 
spirit. 

As  soon  as  this  was  ended,  the  pony  races  fol 
lowed.  All  the  speedy  ponies  were  picked  out 
and  riders  chosen.  ^^^^^^^A^^^^^o. 
would  bejshouts  of  derision. 

^Last  of  all  carnVtRe  swimming.    A  little  urchin 


(^t 


66  Indian  Boyhood 

would  hang  to  his  pony's  long  tail,  while  the  lat 
ter,  with  only  his  head  above  water,  glided  spor 
tively  along.  Finally  the  animals  were  driven  in 
to  a  fine  field  of  grass  and  we  turned  our  attention 
to  other  games. 

Lacrosse  was  an  older  game  and  was  confined  en- 
to  the  Sisseton  and  Santee  Sioux.  Shinny,  such 
as  is  enjoyed  by  white  boys  on  the  ice,  is  still  played 
the  open  prairie  by  the  western  Sioux.  The 
*  moccasin  game,"  although  sometimes  played  by 
the  boys,  was  intended  mainly  for  adults. 

The  "  mud-and-willow  "  fight  was  rather  a 
severe  and  dangerous  sport.  A  lump  of  soft  clay 
was  stuck  on  the  end  of  a  limber  and  springy  wil 
low  wand  and  thrown  as  boys  throw  apples  from 
sticks,  with  considerable  force.  When  there  were 
fifty  or  a  hundred  players  on  each  side,  the  battle 
became  warm  ;  but  anything  to  arouse  the  bravery 
of  Indian  boys  seemed  to  them  a  good  and  whole 
some  diversion. 

Wrestling  was  largely  indulged  in  by  us  all.  It 
may  seem  odd,  but  wrestling  was  done  by  a  great 
many  boys  at  once  —  from  ten  to  any  number  on 
a  side.  It  was  really  a  battle,  in  which  each  one 
chose  his  opponent.  The  rule  was  that  if  a  boy 
sat  down,  he  was  let  alone,  but  as  long  as  he  re 
mained  standing  within  the  field,  he  was  open  to 


Games  and  Sports  67 

an  attack.  No  one  struck  with  the  hand,  but  all 
manner  of  tripping  with  legs  and  feet  and  butting 
with  the  knees  was  allowed.  Altogether  it  was  an 
exhausting  pastime  —  fully  equal  to  the  American 
game  of  football  and  only  the  young  athlete  could 
really  enjoy  it. 

One  of  our  most  curious  sports  was  a  war  upon 
the  nests  of  wild  bees.  We  imagined  ourselves 
about  to  make  an  attack  upon  the  Ojibways  or 
some  tribal  foe.  We  all  painted  and  stole  cau 
tiously  upon  the  nest ;  then,  with  a  rush  and  war- 
whoop,  sprang  upon  the  object  of  our  attack  and 
endeavored  to  destroy  it.  But  it  seemed  that  the 
bees  were  always  on  the  alert  and  never  entirely 
surprised,  for  they  always  raised  quite  as  many 
scalps  as  did  their  bold  assailants !  After  the  on 
slaught  upon  the  nest  was  ended,  we  usually  fol 
lowed  it  by  a  pretended  scalp  dance. 

On  the  occasion  of  my  first  experience  in  this 
mode  of  warfare,  there  were  two  other  little  boys 
who  were  also  novices.  One  of  them  particularly 
was  really  too  young  to  indulge  in  an  exploit  of 
that  kind.  As  it  was  the  custom  of  our  people, 
when  they  killed  or  wounded  an  enemy  on  the  bat 
tle  field,  to  announce  the  act  in  a  loud  voice,  we 
did  the  same.  My  friend,  Little  Wound  (as  I  will 
call  him,  for  I  do  not  remember  his  name),  being 


68  Indian  Boyhood 

quite  small,  was  unable  to  reach  the  nest  until  it 
had  been  well  trampled  upon  and  broken  and  the 
insects  had  made  a  counter  charge  with  such  vigor 
as  to  repulse  and  scatter  our  numbers  in  every  di 
rection.  However,  he  evidently  did  not  want  to 
retreat  without  any  honors  ;  so  he  bravely  jumped 
upon  the  nest  and  yelled: 

"  I,  the  brave  Little  Wound,  to-day  kill  the  only 
fierce  enemy  !" 

Scarcely  were  the  last  words  uttered  when  he 
screamed  as  if  stabbed  to  the  heart.  One  of  his 
older  companions  shouted : 

"  Dive  into  the  water  !  Run  !  Dive  into  the 
water !  "  for  there  was  a  lake  near  by.  This  ad 
vice  he  obeyed. 

When  we  had  reassembled  and  were  indulging 
in  our  mimic  dance,  Little  Wound  was  not  allowed 
to  dance.  He  was  considered  not  to  be  in  ex 
istence  —  he  had  been  killed  by  our  enemies,  the 
Bee  tribe.  Poor  little  fellow  !  His  swollen  face 
was  sad  and  ashamed  as  he  sat  on  a  fallen  log  and 
watched  the  dance.  Although  he  might  well  have 
styled  himself  one  of  the  noble  dead  who  had  died 
for  their  country,  yet  he  was  not  unmindful  that 
he  had  screamed,  and  this  weakness  would  be  apt 
to  recur  to  him  many  times  in  the  tutuST"" 
~  We  had  some  quiet  plays  which  we  alternated 


Games  and  Sports  69 

with  the  more  severe  and  warlike  ones.  Among 
them  were  throwing  wands  and  snow-arrows.  In 
the  winter  we  coasted  much.  We  had  no  "  dou 
ble-rippers  "  or  toboggans,  but  six  or  seven  of  the 
long  ribs  of  a  buffalo,  fastened  together  at  the 
larger  end,  answered  all  practical  purposes.  Some 
times  a  strip  of  bass-wood  bark,  four  feet  long  and 
about  six  inches  wide,  was  used  with  considerable 
skill.  We  stood  on  one  end  and  held  the  other, 
using  the  slippery  inside  of  the  bark  for  the  out 
side,  and  thus  coasting  down  long  hills  with  re 
markable  speed. 

The  spinning  of  tops  was  one  of  the  all-ab-  >/ 
sorbing  winter  sports.  We  made  our  tops  heart- 
shaped  of  wood,  horn  or  bone.  We  whipped 
them  with  a  long  thong  of  buckskin.  The  handle 
was  a  stick  about  a  foot  long  and  sometimes  we 
whittled  the  stick  to  make  it  spoon-shaped  at  one 
end. 

We  played  games  with  these  tops  —  two  to  fifty 
boys  at  one  time.  Each  whips  his  top  until  it 
hums ;  then  one  takes  the  lead  and  the  rest  fol 
low  in  a  sort  of  obstacle  race.  The  top  must  spin 
all  the  way  through.  There  were  bars  of  snow 
over  which  we  must  pilot  our  top  in  the  spoon 
end  of  our  whip  ;  then  again  we  would  toss  it  in  the 
air  on  to  another  open  spot  of  ice  or  smooth  snow- 


jo  Indian  Boyhood 

crust  from  twenty  to  fifty  paces  away.     The  top 
that^holds  out  the  longest  is  the  winner. 

Sometimes  we  played  "  medicine  dance."  This, 
to  us,  was  almost  what "  playing  church  "  is  among 
white  children,  but  our  people  seemed  to  think  it 
an  act  of  jrreverence  to  imitate  these  dances, 
therefore  performances  of  this  kind  were  always 
enjoyed  in  secret.  We  used  to  observe  all  the  im 
portant  ceremonies  and  it  required  something  of  an 
actor  to  reproduce  the  dramatic  features  of  the 
dance.  The  real  dances  occupied  a  day  and  a 
night,  and  the  program  was  long  and  varied,  so 
that  it  was  not  easy  to  execute  all  the  details 
perfectly ;  but  the  Indian  children  are  born  imi 
tators. 

^--^- 

The  boys  built  an  arbor  of  pine  boughs  in  some 
out-of-the-way  place  and  at  one  end  of  it  was  a 
rude  lodge.  This  was  the  medicine  lodge  or  head 
quarters.  All  the  initiates  were  there.  At  the 
further  end  or  entrance  were  the  door-keepers  or 
soldiers,  as  we  called  them.  The  members  of 
each  lodge  entered  in  a  body,  standing  in  single 
file  and  facing  the  headquarters.  Ea£Ji-stretched 
\Aout  hisjdgbt  hand  and  a  prayer  was  offered  by  the 
leader,  after  which  they  took  the  places  assigned 
to  them. 

When  the  preliminaries  had  been  completed, 


Games  and  Sports  ji 

our  leader  sounded  the  big  drum  and  we  all  said 
"  A-hp-ho-ho  !  "  as  a  sort  of  amen.  Then  the  choir 
began  their  song  and  whenever  they  ended  a  verse, 
we  all  said  again  "  A-ho-ho-ho  !"  At  last  they 
struck  up  the  chorus  and  we  all  got  upon  our  feet 
and  began  to  dance,  by  simply  lifting  up  one  foot 
and  then  the  other,  with  a  slight  swing  to  the 
body. 

Each  boy  was  representing  or  imitating  some 
one  of  the  medicine  men.  We  painted  and  decor 
ated  ourselves  just  as  they  did  and  carried  bird 
or  squirrel  skins,  or  occasionally  live  birds  and 
chipmunks  as  our  medicine  bags  and  small  white 
shells  or  pebbles  for  medicine  charms. 

Then  the  persons^to  be  initiated  were  brought 
in  and  seated,  with  much  ceremony,  upon  a  blanket 
or  buffalo  robe.  Directly  in  front  of  them  the 
ground  was  levelled  smooth  and  here  we  laidjm_ 
old  pipe  filled  with  dried  leaves  for  tobacco. 
Around  it  we  placed  the  variously  colored  feathers 
of  the  birds  we  had  killed,  and  cedar  and  sweet- 
grass  we  burned  for  incense. 

Finally  those  of  us  who  had  been  selected  to  per 
form  this  ceremony  stretched  out  our  arms  at  full 
length,  holding  the  sacred  medicine  bags  and  aiming 
themat  the  new  members.  After  swinging  them  four 
times,  we  shot  them  suddenly  forward,  but  did  not 


j2  Indian  Bay  hood 

let  go.     The  novices  then  fell  forward  on  their 
faces  as  if  dead.     Quickly  a  chorus  was  struck  up 
and  we  all  joined  in  a  lively  dance  around  the  sup 
posed  bodies.     The  girls  covered  them  up  with 
\   their  blankets,  thus  burying  the  dead.     At  last  we 
resurrected  them  with  our  charms  and  led  them  to 
their  places  among  the  audience.     Then  came  the 
last  general  dance  and  the  final  feast. 
T[  was  often  selected  as  choir-master  on  these  oc 
casions,  for  I  had  happened  to  learn  many  of  the 
medicine  songs  and  was  quite  an  apt  mimic.    _My_ 
grandmother,  who  was  a  noted  medicine  woman  of 
the  Turtle  lodge,  on  hearing  of  these  sacrilegious 
\    acts  (as  she  called  them)  warned  me  that  if  any  of 
the  medicine  men  should  discover  them,  they  would 
\  punish  me  terribly  by  shriveling  my  limbs  with 

disease. 

Occasionally,  we  also  played  "  white  man."  Our 
/knowledge  of  the  pale-face  was  limited,  but  we  had 
/learned  that  he  brought  goods  whenever  he  came 
and  that  our  people  exchanged  furs  for  his  mer 
chandise.     We  also  knew  that  his  complexion  was 
pale,  that  he  had  short  hair  on  his  head  and  long 
hair  on  his  face  and  that  he  wore  coat,  trousers, 
and  hat,  and  did  not  patronize  blankets  in  the  day 
time.     This  was  the  picture  we  had  formed  of  the 
\white  man. 


Games  and  Sports  73 

So  we  painted  two  or  three  of  our  number  with 
white  clay  and  put  on  them  birchen  hats  which  we 
sewed  up  for  the  occasion;  fastened  a  piece  of  fur 
to  their  chins  for  a  beard  and  altered  their  cos 
tumes  as  much  as  lay  within  our  power.  The 
white  of  the  birch-bark  was  made  to  answer  for 
their  white  shirts.  Their  merchandise  consisted  of 
sand  for  sugar,  wild  beans  for  coffee,  dried  leaves 
for  tea,  pulverized  earth  for  gun-powder,  pebbles 
for  bullets  and  clear  water  for  the  dangerous  "spirit  V 
water/*  We  traded  for  these  goods  with  skins  of 
squirrels,  rabbits  and  small  birds. 

When  we  played  "  hunting  buffalo  "  we  would 
send  a  few  good  runners  off  on  the  open  prairie  \ 
with  a  supply  of  meat ;  then  start  a  few  equally 
swift  boys  to  chase  them  and  capture  the  food. 
Once  we  were  engaged  in  this  sport  when  a  real" 
hunt  by  the  men  was  in  progress ;  yet  we  did  not 
realize  that  it  was  so  near  until,  in  the  midst  of  our 
play,  we  saw  an  immense  buffalo  coming  at  full 
speed  directly  toward  us.  Our  mimic  buffalo  hunt 
turned  into  a  very  real  buffalo  scare.  Fortunately, 
we  were  near  the  edge  of  the  woods  and  we  soon 
disappeared  among  the  leaves  like  a  covey  of  young 
prairie-chickens  and  some  hid  in  the  bushes  while 
others  took  refuge  in  tall  trees. 

We  loved  to  play  in  the  water.     When  we  had 


N/ 


74.  Indian  Boyhood 

no  ponies,  we  often  had  swimming  matches  of  our 
own  and  sometimes  made  rafts  with  which  we 
crossed  lakes  and  rivers.  It  was  a  common 
thing  to  "  duck  "  a  young  or  timid  boy  or  to 
carry  him  into  deep  water  to  struggle  as  best 
he  might. 

I  remember  a  perilous  ride  with  a  companion  on 
an  unmanageable  log,  when  we  were  both  less  than 
seven  years  old.  The  older  boys  had  put  us  on 
this  uncertain  bark  and  pushed  us  out  into  the 
swift  current  of  the  river.  I  cannot  speak  for  my 
comrade  in  distress,  but  I  can  say  now  that  I  would 
rather  ride  on  a  swift  bronco  any  day  than  try  to 
stay  on  and  steady  a  short  log  in  a  river.  I 
never  knew  how  we  managed  to  prevent  a 
shipwreck  on  that  voyage  and  to  reach  the 
shore. 

/  We  had  many  curious  wild  pets.  There  were 
/V  young  foxes,  bears,  wolves,  raccoons,  fawns,  buffalo 
calves  and  birds  of  all  kinds,  tamed  by  various 
boys.  My  pets  were  different  at  different  times,  but 
I  particularly  remember  one.  I  once  had  a  grizzly 
bear  for  a  pet  and  so  far  as  he  and  I  were  concerned, 
our  relations  were  charming  and  very  close.  But  I 
hardly  know  whether  he  made  more  enemies  for  me 
or  I  for  him.  It  was  his  habit  to  treat  every  boy 
unmercifully  who  injured  me.  He  was  despised 


My  Playmates  75 

for  his  conduct  in  my  interest  and  I  was  hated  on 
account  of  his  interference. 

II:    My  Playmates 

HATANNA  was  the  brother  with 
whom  I  passed  much  of  my  early 
childhood.  From  the  time  that 
I  was  old  enough  to  play  with 
boys,  this  brother  was  my  close 
companion.  He  was  a  handsome 
boy,  and  an  affectionate  comrade.  We  played 
together,  slept  together  and  ate  together  ;  and  as 
Chatanna  was  three  years  the  older,  I  naturally 
looked  up  to  him  as  to  a  superior. 

Oesedah  was  a  beautiful  little  character.  She 
was  my  cousin,  and  four  years  younger  than  my 
self.  Perhaps  none  of  my  early  playmates  are 
more  vividly  remembered  than  is  this  little 
maiden. 
The 


was  Makah-oesetopah-win.  It  means  The-four- 
corners-of-the-earth.  As  she  was  rather  small, 
the  abbreviation  with  a  diminutive  termination 
was  considered  more  appropriate,  hence  Oesedah 
became  her  common  name. 

Although  she  had  a  very  good  mother,  Un- 
cheedah  was  her  efficient  teacher  and  chaperone. 


7  6  Indian  Boyhood 

Such  knowledge  as  my  grandmother  deemed  suit 
able  to  a  maiden  was  duly  impressed  upon  her 
susceptible  mind.  When  I  was  not  in  the  woods 
with  Chatanna,  Qesedah  was  my  companion  at 
-JlQrnej,  and  when  I  returned  from  my  play  at 
evening,  she  would  have  a  hundred  questions 

yready  for  me  to  answer.     Some    of  these    were 

'  questions  concerning  our  every-day  life,  and 
others  were  more  difficult  problems  which  had 
suddenly  dawned  upon  her  active  little  mind. 
Whatever  had  occurred  to  interest  her  during  the 
day  was  immediately  repeated  for  my  benefit. 

There  were  certain  questions  upon  which  Oese- 
dah  held  me  to  be  authority,  and  asked  with  the 
hope  of  increasing  her  little  store  of  knowledge. 
I  have  often  heard  her  declare  to  her  girl  compan 
ions  :  "  I  know  it  is  true ;  Ohiyesa  said  so  !  " 
(Uncheedah  was  partly  responsible  for  this,  for 

/Avhen  any  questions  came  up  which  lay  within  the 
sphere  of  man's  observation,  she  would  say  : 

"  Ohiyesa  ought  to  know  that :  he  is  a  man  — 
I  am  not !     You  had  better  ask  him." 

The  truth  was  that  she  had  herself  explained  to 
Ijne^many  of  the  subjects  under  discussion. 

j  I  was  occasionally  referred  to  little  Oesedah  in 
the  same  manner,  and  I  always  accepted  her  child- 


M    ish  elucidations  of  any  matter  upon  which  I  had 


Ohiyesa  and  Chat  anna. 


My  Playmates  77 

been  advised  to  consult  her,  because  I  knew  the 
source  of  her  wisdom.  In  this  simple  way  we 
were  made  to  be  teachers  of  one  another. 

Very  often  we  discussed  some  topic  before  our^ 
common  instructor,  or  answered  her  questions  to-  I 
gether,  in  order  to  show  which  had  the  readier  1 
mind.  _ 

"  To  what  tribe  does  the  lizard  belong?"  inquired 
Uncheedah,  upon  one  of  these  occasions. 

"  To  the  four-legged  tribe,"  I  shouted. 

Oesedah,  with  her  usual  quickness,  flashed  out 

the  answer  : 

< 

"  It  belongs  to  the  creeping  tribe." 

The  Indians  divided  all  animals  into  four  gen-    . 
eral  classes  :    ist,  those  that  walk  upon  four  legs ;     \    f^-f 
2nd,  those  that  fly  ;  jrd,  those  that  swim  with  fins  ; 
4th,  those  that  creep. 

Of  course  I  endeavored  to  support  my  assertion 
that  the  lizard  belongs  where  I  had  placed  it,  be 
cause  he  has  four  distinct  legs  which  propel  him 
everywhere,  on  the  ground  or  in  the  water.  But  my 
opponent  claimed  that  the  creature  under  dispute 
does  not  walk,  but  creeps.  My  strongest  argument 
was  that  it  had  legs  ;  but  Oesedah  insisted  that  its 
body  touches  the  ground  as  it  moves.  As  a  last 
resort,  I  volunteered  to  go  find  one,  and  demon 
strate  the  point  in  question. 


78  Indian  Boyhood 

The  lizard  having  been  brought,  we  smoothed 
off  the  ground  and  strewed  ashes  on  it  so  that  we 
could  see  the  track.  Then  I  raised  the  question  : 
"  What  constitutes  creeping,  and  what  constitutes 
walking  ? " 

Uncheedah  was  the  judge,  and  she  stated,  with 
out  any  hesitation,  that  an  animal  must  stand  clear 
of  the  ground  on  the  support  of  its  legs,  and  walk 
with  the  body  above  the  legs,  and  not  in  contact 
with  the  ground,  in  order  to  be  termed  a  walker ; 
while  a  creeper  is  one  that,  regardless  of  its  legs,  if 
it  has  them,  drags  its  body  upon  the  ground.  Upon 
hearing  the  judge's  decision,  I  yielded  at  once  to 
my  opponent. 

At  another  time,  when  I  was  engaged  in  a  sim 
ilar  discussion  with  my  brother  Chatanna,  Oesedah 
came  to  my  rescue.  Our  grandmother  had  asked 
us  : 

'  What  bird  shows  most  judgment  in  caring  for 
its  young  ? " 

Chatanna  at  once  exclaimed  : 

"  The  eagle  !  "  but  I  held  my  peace  for  a  mo 
ment,  because  I  was  confused — so  many  birds  came 
into  my  mind  at  once.  I  finally  declared  : 

"  It  is  the  oriole  !  " 

Chatanna  was  asked  to  state  all  the  evidence  that 
he  had  in  support  of  the  eagle's  good  sense  in 


My  Playmates  79 

rearing  its  young.       He  proceeded  with  an  air  of 
confidence  : 

"  The  eagle  is  the  wisest  of  all  birds.      Its  nest 
is  made  in  the  safest  possible  place,  upon  a  high 
and  inaccessible  cliff.     It  provides  its  young  with 
an  abundance  of  fresh  meat.   They  have_^^fresh- 
est  gf,air.     They^arebrought  up  under  the  spell 
joXjthe__grandest  scenes^ and  inspired" with   lofty  f^ 
feelings  arid  bravery.     Th^y_see_that  all  other  be->\ 
ings  live  bcneath..them,  and  that  they  are  the  chil 
dren  of  the  King  of  Birds.     A  young  eagle  shows 
the  spirit  of  a  warrior  while  still  in  the  nest. 

"Being  exposed  to  the  inclemency  of  the  weather-' 
the  young  eaglets  are  hardy.  They  are  accustomed 
to  hear  the  mutterings  of  the  Thunder  Bird  "and 
the  sighings  of  the  Great  Mystery.     Why,  the  lit 
tle  eagles  cannot  help  being  as  noble  as  they  are, 
because  their  parents  selected  for  them  so  lofty 
and  inspiring  a  home  !     How  happy  they  must  be 
when  they  find  themselves  above  the  clouds,  and 
behold  the  zig-zag  flashes  of  lightning  all  about 
them  !     It  must  be  nice  to  taste  a  piece  of  fresh 
meat  up  in  their  cool  home,  in  the  burning  sum 
mer-time  !     Then  when  they  drop  down  the  bones  j 
of  the  game  they  feed  upon,  wolves  and  vultures  \  s/ 
gather  beneath  them,  feeding  upon   their  refuse.  \ 
That  alone  would  show  them  their  chieftainship  J 


8o  Indian  Boyhood 

over  all  the  other  birds.  Isn't  that  so,  grand 
mother  ? "  Thus  triumphantly  he  concluded  his 
argument. 

I  was  staggered  at  first  by  the  noble  speech  of 
Chatannna,  but  I  soon  recovered  from  its  effects. 
The  little  Oesedah  came  to  my  aid  by  saying  : 
"  Wait  until  Ohiyesa  tells  of  the  loveliness  of  the 
beautiful  Oriole's  home  !  "  This  timely  remark 
gave  me  courage  and  I  began : 

"My  grandmother,  who  was  it  said  that  a 
/  mother  who  has  a  gentle  and  sweet  voice  will  have 
/^l  children  of  a  good  disposition  ?  I  think  the  oriole 
is  that  kind  of  a  parent.  It  provides  both  sun 
shine  and  shadow  for  its  young.  Its  nest  is  sus 
pended  from  the  prettiest  bough  of  the  most  grace 
ful  tree,  where  it  is  rocked  by  the  gentle  winds ; 
and  the  one  we  found  yesterday  was  beautifully 
lined  with  soft  things,  both  deep  and  warm,  so  that 
the  little  featherless  birdies  cannot  suffer  from  the 
and  wet." 

Here  Chatanna  interrupted  me  to  exclaim : 
"  That  is  just  like  the  white  people — who  cares  for 
them  ?  The  eagle  teaches  its  young  to  be  ac 
customed  to  hardships,  like  young  warriors  !  " 

Ohiyesa  was  provoked ;  he  reproached  his 
brother  and  appealed  to  the  judge,  saying  that  he 
had  not  finished  yet. 


My  Playmates  81 

"  But  you  would  not  have  lived,  Chatanna,  if 
you  had  been  exposed  like  that  when  you  were 
a  baby  !  The  oriole  shows  wisdom  in  providing 
for  its  children  a  good,  comfortable  home  !  A 
home  upon  a  high  rock  would  not  be  pleasant — 
it  would  be  cold  !  We  climbed  a  mountain  once, 
and  it  was  cold  there  ;  and  who  would  care  to  stay 
in  such  a  place  when  it  storms  ?  What  wisdom  is 
there  in  having  a  pile  of  rough  sticks  upon  a  bare 
rock,surroundedwith  ill-smelling  bones  of  animals, 
for  a  home  ?  Also,  my  uncle  says  that  the  eaglets 
seem  always  to  be  on  the  point  of  starvation.  You 
have  heard  that  whoever  lives  on  game  killed 
by  some  one  else  is  compared  to  an  eagle.  Isn  t 
that  so,  grandmother  ?  " 

"  The  oriole  suspends  its  nest  from  the  lower 
side  of  a  horizontal  bough  so  that  no  enemy  can 
approach  it.  It  enjoys  peace  and  beauty  and 
safety/' 

Cesedah  was  at  Ohiyesa's  side  during  the 
cussion,  and  occasionally  whispered  into  his  earvj> 
Uncheedah  decided  this  time  in  favor  of  Ohiyesa. 

We  were  once  very  short  of  provisions  in  the 
winter  time.  My  uncle,  our  only  means  of  sup 
port,  was  sick  ;  and  besides,  we  were  separated 
from  the  rest  of  the  tribe  and  in  a  region  where 
there  was  little  game  of  any  kind.  Oesedah  had 


82  Indian  Boyhood 

a  pet  squirrel,  and  as  soon  as  we  began  to  econo 
mize  our  food  had  given  portions  of  her  allow 
ance  to  her  pet. 

At  last  we  were  reduced  very  much,  and  the 
prospect  of  obtaining  anything  soon  being  gloomy, 
my  grandmother  reluctantly  suggested  that  the 
squirrel  should  be  killed  for  food.  Thereupon 
my  little  cousin  cried,  and  said : 

"~Why  cannot  we  all  die  alike  wanting?    The 

f<"  squirrel's  life  is  as  dear  to  him  as  ours  to  us,"  and 
clung  to  it.  Fortunately,  relief  came  in  time  to 
save  her  pet. 

Oesedah  lived  with  us  for  a  portion  of  the  year, 
and  as  there  were  no  other  girls  in  the  family  she 
played  much  alone,  and  had  many  imaginary  com- 
anions.  At  one  time  there  was  a  small  willow 
treewmch  she  visited  regularly,  holding  long  con 
versations,  a  part  of  which  she  would  afterward 
repeat  to  me.  She  said  the  willow  tree  was  her 
husband,  whom  some  magic  had  compelled  to 
take  that  form  ;  but  no  grown  person  was  ever 
allowed  to  share  her  secret. 

When  I  was  about  eight  years  old  I  had  for  a 
playmate  the  adopted  son  of  a  Sioux,  who  was  a 
Vwhite  captive.     This  boy  was  quite  a  noted  per 
sonage,  although  he  was   then  only  about  ten  or 
eleven  years  of  age.     When    I   first  became  ac- 


My  Playmates  83 

quainted  with  him  we  were  on  the  upper  Mis 
souri  river.  I  learned  from  him  that  he  had  been 
taken  on  the  plains,  and  that  both  of  his  parents 
were  killed. 

He  was  at  first  sad  and  lonely,  but  soon  found 
plenty  of  consolation    in  his  new   home.      The 
name  of  his  adopted  father  was    "  Keeps  -  the  - 
Spotted -Ponies."       He    was    known    to    have 
an  unusual  number  of  the  pretty  calico  ponies ; N      -, 
indeed,  he  had  a  passion  for  accumulating  prop-  /  /\ 
erty  in  the  shape  of  ponies,  painted  tents,   dec-  y 
orated    saddles    and    all    sorts    of    finery.       He 
had  lost  his  only  son ;  but  the    little    pale-face 
became   the   adopted  brother  of  two  handsome 
young  women,  his   daughters.     This  made  him 
quite  popular   among  the  young  warriors.     He 
was  not  slow  to  adopt  the  Indian  customs,  and  he 
acquired  the  Sioux  language  in  a  short  time. 

I  well  remember  hearing  of  his  first  experience 
of  war.  He  was  not  more  than  sixteen  when  he 
joined  a  war-party  against  the  Gros-Ventres  and 
Mandans.  My  uncle  reported  that  he  was  very 
brave  until  he  was  wounded  in  the  ankle;  then  he 
begged  with  tears  to  be  taken  back  to  a  safe  place. 
Fortunately  for  him,  his  adopted  father  came  to  the 
rescue,  and  saved  him  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life. 
He  was  called  the  "  pale-face  Indian."  His  hair 


84  Indian  Boyhood 

y 

grew  very  long  and  he  lavished  paint  on  his  face  \ 
and  hair  so  that  no  one  might  suspect  that  he  was  \ 
a  white  man. 

One  day  this  boy  was  playing  a  gambling  game 
with  one  of  the  Sioux  warriors.     He  was  an    ex 
pert  gambler,  and  won  everything  from  the  Indian. 
At  a  certain  point  a  dispute   arose.     The  Indian 
was  very  angry,  for  he  discovered  that  his  fellow- 
layer  had  deliberately  cheated  him.   The  Indians 
ere  strictly  honest  in  those  days,  even  in  their 
gambling. 

The  boy  declared  that  he  had  merely  performed 
a  trick  for  the  benefit  of  his  friend,  but  it  nearly 
cost  him  his  life.  The  indignant  warrior  had 
already  drawn  his  bow-string  with  the  intention  of 
shooting  the  captive,  but  a  third  person  intervened 
and  saved  the  boy's  life.  He  at  once  explained  his 
trick ;  and  in  order  to  show  himself  an  honorable 
gambler,  gave  back  all  the  articles  that  he  had  won 
from  his  opponent.  In  the  midst  of  the  confusion, 
old  "  Keeps-the-Spotted-Ponies "  came  rushing 
through  the  crowd  in  a  state  of  great  excitement. 
He  thought  his  pale-face  son  had  been  killed. 
When  he  saw  how  matters  stood,  he  gave  the  ag 
grieved  warrior  a  pony,  "  in  order,"  as  he  said, 
"  that  there  may  be  no  shadow  between  him  and 
my  son.*' 


My  Playmates  85 

One  spring  my  uncle  took  Chatanna  to  the 
Canadian  trading-post  on  the  Assiniboine  river, 
where  he  went  to  trade  off  his  furs  for  ammunition 
and  other  commodities.  When  he  came  back,  my 
brother  was  not  with  him  ! 

At  first  my  fears  were  even  worse  than  the  re 
ality.  The  facts  were  these :  A  Canadian  with 
whom  my  uncle  had  traded  much  had  six  daugh 
ters  and  no  son ;  and  when  he  saw  this  handsome 
and  intelligent  little  fellow,  he  at  once  offered  to 
adopt  him. 

"  I  have  no  boy  in  my  family,"  said  he,  "  and 
I  will  deal  with  him  as  with  a  son.  I  am  always 
in  these  regions  trading  ;  so  you  can  see  him  two 
or  three  times  in  a  year."  ~  n  C 

He  further  assured  my  uncle  that  the  possession  6' 
of  the  boy  would  greatly  strengthen  their  friend- 
ship.  The  matter  was  finally  agreed  upon.  At 
first  Chatanna  was  unwilling,  but  as  we  were  taught 
to  follow  the  advice  of  our  parents  and  guardians, 
he  was  obliged  to  yield. 

This  was  a  severe  blow  to  me,  and  for  a  long 
time  I  could  not  be  consoled.  Uncheedah  was 
fully  in  sympathy  with  my  distress.  She  argued 
that  the  white  man's  education  was  not  desirable 
for  her  boys  ;  in  fact,  she  urged  her  son  so  strongly 
to  go  back  after  Chatanna  that  he  promised  on 


86  Indian  Boyhood 

his  next  visit  to  the  post  to  bring  him  home 
again. 

But  the  trader  was  a  shrewd  man.  He  immedi 
ately  moved  to  another  part  of  the  country  ;  and  I 
never  saw  my  Chatanna,  the  companion  of  my 
childhood,  again  !  We  learned  afterward  that  he 
grew  up  and  was  married ;  but  one  day  he  lost  his 
way  in  a  blizzard  and  was  frozen  to  death. 

My  little  cousin  and  I  went  to  school  together 
in  later  years ;  but  she  could  not  endure  the  con 
finement  of  the  school-room.  Although  appar 
ently  very  happy,  she  suffered  greatly  from  the 
change  to  an  indoor  life,  as  have  many  of  our  peo 
ple,  and  died  six  months  after  our  return  to 
the  United  States. 

Ill:    The  Boy  Hunter 

IT  will  be  no  exaggeration  to  say 
that  the  life  of  the  Indian  hunter 
was  a  life  of  fascination.  From 
the  moment  that  he  lost  sight  of 
his  rude  home  in  the  midst  of  the 
forest,  his  untutored  mind  lost  it 
self  in  the  myriad  beauties  and  forces  of  nature. 
Yet  he  never  forgot  his  personal  danger  from  some 
lurking  foe  or  savage  beast,  however  absorbing 
was  his  passion  for  the  chase. 


The  Boy  Hunter  87 

The  Indian  youth  was  a  born  hunter.  Every 
motion,  every  step  expressed  an  inborn  dignity 
and,  at  the  same  time,  a  depth  of  native  caution. 
His  moccasined  foot  fell  like  the  vel  vetpaw  of  a 
cat — noiselessly  ;  his^littering  black  eyes  scanned 
every  object  that  appeared  withitOtrerr-yiew.  Not 
a  bird,  not  even  a  chipmunk,  escaped  their  pierc 
ing  glance. 

I  was  scarcely  over  three  years  old  when  I  stood 
one  morning  just  outside  our  buffalo-skin  teepee, 
with  my  little  bow  and  arrows  in  my  hand,  and 
gazed  up  among  the  trees.  Suddenly  the  instinct 
to  chase  and  kill  seized  me  powerfully.  Just  then 
a  bird  flew  over  my  head  and  then  another  caught 
my  eye,  as  it  balanced  itself  upon  a  swaying 
bough.  Everything  else  was  forgotten  and  in 
that  moment  I  had  taken  my  first  step  as  a 
hunter.  _  N 

There  was  almost  as  much  difference  between  \ 
the  Indian  boys  who  were  brought  up  on  the  open  I 
prairies  and  those  of  the  woods,  as  between  cityM 
and  country  boys.    The  hunting  of  the  prairie  boys\ 
was  limited  and  their  knowledge  of  natural  historyy 
imperfect.     They  were,  as  a  rule,  good  riders,  but\ 
in  all-round  physical  development  much  inferior/ 
to  the  red  men  of  the  forest. 

Our  hunting  varied  with  the  season  of  the  year, 


88  Indian  Boyhood 

and  the  nature  of  the  country  which  was  for  the 
time  our  home.  Our  chief  weapon  was  the  bow 
and  arrows,  and  perhaps,  if  ^ve  were  lucky,  a  knife_ 
was  possessed  by  some  one  in  the  crowd.  In  the 
olden  times,  knives  and  hatchets  were  made  from 
bone  and  sharp  stones. 

For  fire  we  used  a  flint  with  a  spongy  piece  of 
dry  wood  and  a  stone  to  strike  with.  Another  way 
of  starting  fire  was  for  several  of  the  boys  to  sit 
down  in  a  circle  and  rub  two  pieces  of  dry,  spongy 
wood  together,  one  after  another,  until  the  wood 
took  fire. 

We  hunted  in  company  a  great  deal,  though  it 
was  a  common  thing  for  a  boy  to  set  out  for  the 
woods  quite  alone,  and  he  usually  enjoyed  himself 
fully  as  much.  Our  game  consisted  mainly  of 
small  birds,  rabbits,  squirrels  and  grouse,  jlsh- 
much  of  our_rime.  We_hardly 


ever  passed  a  creek  ^or  a  pond  without  searching 
fpJtJLQIsIIsrgtis  of  fish.  "When  fish  were  present, 
we  always  managed  to  get  some.  Fish-lines  were 
made  ofwild  hemp,  sinew  or  horse-hair.  We 
either  caught  fish  with  lines,  snared  or  speared 
them,  or  shot  them  with  bow  and  arrows.  In  the 
fall  we  charmed  them  up  to  the  surface  by  gently 
ickling  them  with  a  stick  an3TquicTcIylHre^rthem. 
out.  We  have  sometimes  dammed  the  brooks  and 


The  Boy  Hunter  89 

driven  the  larger  fish  into  a  willow  basket  made 
for  that  purpose. 

It  was  part  of  our  hunting  to  find  new  and 
strange  things  in  the  woods.  We  examined  the 
slightest  sign  of  life  ;  and  if  a  bird  had  scratchecT 
the  leaves  off  the  ground,  or  a  bear  dragged  up  a 
root  for  his  morning  meal,  we  stopped  to  specu 
late  on  the  time  it  was  done.  If  we  saw  a  larg 
old  tree  with  some  scratches  on  its  bark,  we  con 
cluded  that  a  bear  or  some  raccoons  must  be  living 
there.  In  that  case  we  did  not  go  any  nearer  than 
was  necessary,  but  later  reported  the  incident 
home.  An  old  deer-track  would  at  once  bring  on 
a  warm  discussion  as  to  whether  it  was  the  track 

3.  buck  or  a  doe.     Generally,  at  noon,  we  met] 
and  compared  our  game,  noting  at  the  same  time  l 
the  peculiar  characteristics  of  everything  we  had/ 
killed.     It  was  not  merely  a  hunt,  for  we  combined 
with  it  the  study  of  animal  life.     We  also  kept) 
strict  account  of  our  game,  and  thus  learned  who/ 


were  the  best  shots  among  the  boys. 

I  am  sorry  to  say  that  we  were  merciless  toward 
the  birds.  We  often  took  their  eggs  and  their 
young  ones.  My  brother  Chatanna  and  I  once 
had  a  disagreeable  adventure  while  bird-hunting. 
We  were  accustomed  to  catch  in  our  hands  young 
ducks  and  geese  during  the  summer,  and  while  do- 


90  Indian  Boyhood 

ing  this  we  happened  to  find  a  crane's  nest.  Of 
course,  we  were  delighted  with  our  good  luck. 
But,  as  it  was  already  midsummer,  the  young 
cranes — two  in  number — were  rather  large  and 
they  were  a  little  way  from  the  nest ;  we  also  ob 
served  that  the  two  old  cranes  were  in  a  swampy 
place  near  by ;  but,  as  it  was  moulting-time,  we 
did  not  suppose  that  they  would  venture  on  dry 
land.  So  we  proceeded  to  chase  the  young  birds  ; 
but  they  were  fleet  runners  and  it  took  us  some 
time  to  come  up  with  them. 

Meanwhile,  the  parent  birds  had  heard  the  cries 
of  their  little  ones  and  come  to  their  rescue.  They 
were  chasing  us,  while  we  followed  the  birds.  It 
was  really  a  perilous  encounter !  Our  strong 
bows  finally  gained  the  victory  in  a  hand-to-hand 
struggle  with  the  angry  cranes  ;  but  after  that  we 
hardly  ever  hunted  a  crane's  nest.  Almost  all  birds 
make  some  resistance  when  their  eggs  or  young 
are  taken,  but  they  will  seldom  attack  man  fear 
lessly. 
//xWe  used  to  climb  large  trees  for  birds  of  all 

ds  ;  but  we  never  undertook  to  get  young  owls 
unless  they  were  on  the  ground.  The  hooting 
owl  especially  is  a  dangerous  bird  to  attack  under 
these  circumstances. 

I  was  once  trying  to  catch  a  yellow-winged  wood- 


The  Boy  Hunter  91 

pecker  in  its  nest  when  my  arm  became  twisted 
and  lodged  in  the  deep  hole  so  that  I  could  not 
get  it  out  without  the  aid  of  a  knife ;  but  we  were 
a  long  way  from  home  and  my  only  companion 
was  a  deaf  mute  cousin  of  mine.  I  was  about  fifty 
feet  up  in  the  tree,  in  a  very  uncomfortable  posi 
tion,  but  I  had  to  wait  there  for  more  than  an  hour 
before  he  brought  me  the  knife  with  which  I  fin 
ally  released  myself. 

Our  devices  for  trapping  small  animals  were 
rude,  but  they  were  often  successful.  For  instance, 
we  used  to  gather  up  a  peck  or  so  of  large,  sharp- 
pointed  burrs  and  scatter  them  in  the  rabbit's  fur 
row-like  path.  In  the  morning,  we  would  find 
the  little  fellow  sitting  quietly  in  his  tracks,  unable 
to  move,  for  the  burrs  stuck  to  his  feet. 

Another  way  of  snaring  rabbits  and  grouse  was 
the  following  :  We  made  nooses  of  twisted  horse 
hair,  which  we  tied  very  firmly  to  the  top  of  a 
limber  young  tree,  then  bent  the  latter  down  to 
the  track  and  fastened  the  whole  with  a  slip-knot, 
after  adjusting  the  noose.  When  the  rabbit  runs 
his  head  through  the  noose,  he  pulls  the  slip-knot 
and  is  quickly  carried  up  by  the  spring  of  the 
young  tree.  This  is  a  good  plan,  for  the  rabbit 
is  out  of  harm's  way  as  he  swings  high  in  the  air. 

Perhaps  the  most  enjoyable  of  all  was  the  chip- 


^2  Indian  Boyhood 

munk  hunt.  We  killed  these  animals  at  any  time 
of  year,  but  the  special  time  to  hunt  them  was  in 
March.  After  the  first  thaw,  the  chipmunks  bur 
row  a  hole  through  the  snow  crust  and  make 
their  first  appearance  for  the  season.  Sometimes 
as  many  as  fifty  will  come  together  and  hold  a 
social  reunion.  These  gatherings  occur  early  in 
the  morning,  from  daybreak  to  about  nine  o'clock. 

We  boys  learned  this,  among  other  secrets  of 
nature,  and  got  our  blunt-headed  arrows  together 
in  good  season  for  the  chipmunk  expedition. 

We  generally  went_m^oiips_o£six  to  a  dozen 
/n  ^/.  or  fifteeryto  see  which  would-get_th^_jnQSt,     On 
,  /  the  evening  before,  we  selected  several  boys  who 

could  imitate  the  chipmunk's  call  with  wild  oat- 
straws  and  each  of  these  provided  himself  with  a 
supply  of  straws. 

The  crust  will  hold  the  boys  nicely  at  this  time 
of  the  year.  Bright  and  early,  they  all  come  to 
gether  at  the  appointed  place,  from  which  each 
£roup  starts  out  in  a  different  direction,  agreeing 
'to  meet  somewhere  at  a  given  position  of  the  sun. 

My  first  experience  of  this  kind  is  still  well  re 
membered.  It  was  a  fine  crisp  March  morning, 
and  the  sun  had  not  yet  shown  himself  among  the 
distant  tree-tops  as  we  hurried  along  through  the 
ghostly  wood.  Presently  we  arrived  at  a  place 


The  Boy  Hunter  93 

where  there  were  many  signs  of  the  animals.  Then 
each  of  us  selected  a  tree  and  took  up  his  position 
behind  it.  The  chipmunk  caller  sat  upon  a  log 
as  motionless  as  he  could,  and  began  to  call. 

Soon  we  heard  the  patter  of  little  feet  on  the 
hard  snow ;  then  we  saw  the  chipmunks  approach 
ing  from  all  directions.  Some  stopped  and  ran 
experimentally  up  a  tree  or  a  log,  as  if  uncertain  of 
the  exact  direction  of  the  call ;  others  chased  one 
another  about. 

In  a  few  minutes,  the  chipmunk-caller  was  be 
sieged  with  them.  Some  ran  all  over  his  person, 
others  under  him  and  still  others  ran  up  the  tree 
against  which  he  was  sitting.  Each  boy  remained 
immovable  until  their  leader  gave  the  signal ;  then 
a  great  shout  arose,  and  the  chipmunks  in  their 
flight  all  ran  up  the  different  trees. 

Now  the  shooting-match  began.  The  little 
creatures  seemed  to  realize  their  hopeless  posi 
tion  ;  they  would  try  again  and  again  to  come 
down  the  trees  and  flee  away  from  the  deadly  aim 
of  the  youthful  hunters.  But  they  were  shot  down 
very  fast ;  and  whenever  several  of  them  rushed 
toward  the  ground,  the  little  red-skin  hugged  the 
tree  and  yelled  frantically  to  scare  them  up  again. 

Each  boy  shoots  always  against  the  trunk  of  the 
tree,  so  that  the  arrow  may  bound  back  to  him  everyT^* 


94  Indian  Boyhood 

time ;  otherwise,  when  he  had  shot  away  all  of 
them,  he  would  be  helpless,  and  another,  who  had 
cleared  his  own  tree,  would  come  and  take  away 
his  game,  so  there  was  warm  competition.  Some 
times  a  desperate  chipmunk  would  jump  from  the 
top  of  the  tree  in  order  to  escape,  which  was  con 
sidered  a  joke  on  the  boy  who  lost  it  and  a  triumph 
for  the  brave  little  animal.  At  last  all  were  killed 
or  gone,  and  then  we  went  on  to  another  place, 
keeping  up  the  sport  until  the  sun  came  out  and 
the  chipmunks  refused  to  answer  the  call. 

When  we  went  out  on  the  prairies  we  had  a  dif 
ferent  and  less  lively  kind  of  sport.  We  used  to 
snare  with  horse-hair  and  bow-strings  all  the  small 
ground  animals,  including  the  prairie-dog.  We 
both  snared  and  shot  them.  Once  a  little  boy  set 
a  snare  for  one,  and  lay  flat  on  the  ground  a  little 
from  the  hole,  holding  the  end  of  the  string. 
Presently  he  felt  something  move  and  pulled  in  a 
huge  rattlesnake  ;  and  to  this  day,  his  name  is 
"  Caught-the- Rattlesnake."  Very  often  a  boy  got 
name  in  some  such  manner.  At  another 
time,  we  were  playing  in  the  woods  and  found  a 
fawn's  track.  We  followed  and  caught  it  while 
asleep  ;  but  in  the  struggle  to  get  away,  it  kicked 
boy,  who  is  still  called  "Kicked-by-the-Fawn." 

It  became  a  necessary  part  of  our  education  to 


The  Boy  Hunter 


95 


learn  to  prepare  a  meal  while  out  hunting.     It  is 
a  fact  that  most  Indians  will  eat  the  liver  and  some     . 
other  portions  of  large  animals  raw,  but  they  do  r\ 
not^at^hu_oji_biTds^in^Qojced.     Neither  will  they 
^aTaJrog^or  an  eel.      On  our  boyish  hunts,  weA 
often  went  on  until  we  found  ourselves  a  long  way 
from  our  camp,  when  we  would  kindle  a  fire  and 
roast  a  part  of  our  game. 

Generally  we  broiled  our  meat  over  the  coals  on 
a  stick.  We  roasted  some  of  it  over  the  open  fire. 
But  the  best  way  to  cook  fish  and  birds  is  in  the 
ashes,  under  a  big  fire.  We  take  the  fish  fresh  from 
the  creek  or  lake,  have  a  good  fire  on  the  sand,  dig 
in  the  sandy  ashes  and  bury  it  deep.  The  same 
thing  is  done  in  case  of  a  bird,  only  we  wet  the 
feathers  first.  When  it  is  done,  the  scales  or  feath 
ers  and  skin  are  stripped  off  whole,  and  the  deli 
cious  meat  retains  all  its  juices  and  flavor.  ^We 
gulledJt_afF  as_^ejite,J.eaving  the  bones  undis- 


Our  people  had  also  a  method  of  boiling  with 
out  pots  or  kettles.  A  large  piece  of  tripe  was 
thoroughly  washed  and  the  ends  tied,  then  sus 
pended  between  four  stakes  driven  into  the  ground 
and  filled  with  cold  water.  The  meat  was  then  placed 
in  this  novel  receptacle  and  boiled  by  means  of  the 
addition  of  red-hot  stones. 


96  Indian  Boyhood 

Chatanna  was  a  good  hunter.  He  called  the  doe 
and  fawn  beautifully  by  using  a  thin  leaf  of  birch- 
bark  between  two  flattened  sticks.  One  morning 
we  found  the  tracks  of  a  doe  and  fawn  who  had 
passed  within  the  hour,  for  the  light  dew  was 
brushed  from  the  grass. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  I  asked.  "  Shall  we  go 
back  to  the  teepee  and  tell  uncle  to  bring  his 
gun  ? " 

"  No,  no  ! "  exclaimed  Chatanna.  "  Did  not  our 
people  kill  deer  and  buffalo  long  ago  without  guns  ? 
We  will  entice  her  into  this  open  space,  and,  while 
she  stands  bewildered,  I  can  throw  my  lasso  line 
over  her  head." 

He  had  called  only  a  few  seconds  when  the  fawn 
emerged  from  the  thick  woods  and  stood  before  us, 
prettier  than  a  picture.  Then  I  uttered  the  call, 
and  she  threw  her  tobacco-leaf-like  ears  toward  me, 
while  Chatanna  threw  his  lasso.  She  gave  one 
scream  and  launched  forth  into  the  air,  almost 
throwing  the  boy  hunter  to  the  ground.  Again 
and  again  she  flung  herself  desperately  into  the  air, 
but  at  last  we  led  her  to  the  nearest  tree  and  tied 
her  securely. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  go  and  get  our  pets  and  see 
what  they  will  do." 

At  that  time  he  had  a  good-sized  black  bear 


The  Boy  Hunter  97 

partly  tamed,  while  I  had  a  young  red  fox  and  my 
faithful  Ohitika  or  Brave.  I  untied  Chagoo,  the 
bear,  and  Wanahon,  the  fox,  while  Ohitika  got  up 
and  welcomed  me  by  wagging  his  tail  in  a  dig 
nified  way. 

"  Come,"  I  said,  "  all  three  of  you.  I  think  we 
have  something  you  would  all  like  to  see." 

They  seemed  to  understand  me,  for  Chagoo  be 
gan  to  pull  his  rope  with  both  paws,  while  Wana 
hon  undertook  the  task  of  digging  up  by  the  roots 
the  sapling  to  which  I  had  tied  him. 

Before  we  got  to  the  open  spot,  we  already  heard 
Ohitika  joyous  bark,  and  the  two  wild  pets  be 
gan  to  run,  and  pulled  me  along  through  the  un 
derbrush.  Chagoo  soon  assumed  the  utmost  pre 
caution  and  walked  as  if  he  had  splinters  in  his 
soles,  while  Wanahon  kept  his  nose  down  low  and 
sneaked  through  the  trees. 

Out  into  the  open  glade  we  came,  and  there,  be 
fore  the  three  rogues,  stood  the  little  innocent  fawn. 
She  visibly  trembled  at  the  sight  of  the  motley 
group.  The  two  human  rogues  looked  to  her,  I 
presume,  just  as  bad  as  the  other  three.  Chagoo 
regarded  her  with  a  mixture  of  curiosity  and  defi 
ance,  while  Wanahon  stood  as  if  rooted  to  the 
ground,  evidently  planning  how  to  get  at  her.  But 
Ohitika  (Brave),  generous  Ohitika,  his  occasional 


98  Indian  Boyhood 

barking  was  only  in  jest.  He  did  not  care  to 
touch  the  helpless  thing. 

Suddenly  the  fawn  sprang  high  into  the  air  and 
then  dropped  her  pretty  head  on  the  ground. 

"  Ohiyesa,  the  fawn  is  dead,"  cried  Chatanna. 
"  I  wanted  to  keep  her." 

"  It  is  a  shame,"  I  chimed  in. 

We  five  guilty  ones  came  and  stood  around  her 
helpless  form.  We  all  looked  very  sorry  ;  even 
Chagoo's  eyes  showed  repentance  and  regret.  As 
for  Ohitika,  he  gave  two  great  sighs  and  then  be 
took  himself  to  a  respectful  distance.  Chatanna 
had  two  big  tears  gradually  swamping  his  long, 
black  eye-lashes ;  and  I  thought  it  was  time  to 
hide  my  face,,  for  I  did  not  want  him  to  look  at 
me. 


HakadaK s  First  Offering 


HakadaK s  First  Offering 

|AKADAH,  coowah  \  "  was  the 
sonorous  call  that  came  from  a 
large  teepee  in  the  midst  of  the 
Indian  encampment.  In  answer 
to  the  summons  there  emerged 
from  the  woods,  which  were 
only  a  few  steps  away,  a  boy,  accompanied  by  a 
splendid  black  dog.  There  was  little  in  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  little  fellow  to  distinguish  him 
from  the  other  Sioux  boys. 

He   hastened  to  the  tent  from  which  he  had 
been  summoned,  carrying  in  his  hands  a  bow  and  y 
arrows  gorgeously_paintedT  while  the  small  birds 
and  squirrels  that  he  had  killed  with  these  weap 
ons  dangled  from  his_belk  X 

Within  the  tent  sat  two  old   women,  one  on\ 
each  side  of  the  fire.     Uncheedah  was  the  boy's 
grandmother,  who  had  brought  up  the  mother 
less  child.     Wahchewin  was  only  a  caller,  but  she 
had  been  invited  to  remain  and  assist  in  the  first 


IO2  Indian  Boyhood 

persona'  offering  of  Hakadah  to  the  "  Great  Mys 
tery." 

This  was  a  matter  which  had,  for  several  days, 
/  (pretty  much  monopolized  Uncheedah's  mind.  It 
/was  her  custom  to  see  to  this  when  each  of  her 
dren  attained  the  age  of  eight  summers.  They 
had  all  been  celebrated  as  warriors  and  hunters 
among  their  tribe,  and  she  had  not  hesitated  to 
claim  for  herself  a  good  share  of  the  honors  they 
had  achieved,  because  she  had  brought  them  early 
tp  the  notice  of  the  "  Great  Mystery." 

She  believed  that  her  influence  had  helped  to 
regulate  and  develop  the  characters  of  her  sons  to 
the  height  of  savage  nobility  and  strength  of  man 
hood. 

It  had  been  whispered  through  the  teepee  vil 
lage  that  Uncheedah  intended  to  give  a  feast  in 
honor  of  her  grandchild's  first  sacrificial  offering. 
This  was  mere  speculation,  however,  for  the  clear 
sighted  old  woman  had  determined  to  keep  this 
part  of  the  matter  secret  until  the  offering  should 
be  completed,  believing  that  the  "  Great  Myste- 
Lry_  "  should  be  met  in  silence  and  dignity. 

The  boy  came  rushing  into  the  lodge,  followed 
by  his  dog  Ohitika  who  was  wagging  his  tail  pro 
miscuously,  as  if  to  say  :  "  Master  and  I  are  really 
hunters  !  " 


Hakadatis  First  Offering  103 


Hakadah  breathlessly  gave  a  descriptive 
tive  of  the  killing  of  each  bird  and  squirrel   as  he 
pulled  them  off  his  belt  and  threw  them   before  j 
his  grandmother. 

"This  blunt-headed  arrow,"  said  he,  "  actuallyx/ 
had  eyes  this  morning.      Before  the  squirrel  can 
dodge  arouncTthe  tree  it  strikes  him  in  the  head, 
and,  as  he  falls  to  the  ground,  my  Ohitika  is  upon 
him." 

yiHe  jknelt  upon  one  knee  as  he  talked,  his  black 
eyes  shining  like  evening  stars. 

"  Sit  down  here,"  said  Uncheedah  to  the  boy  ; 
"  I  have  something  to  say  to  you.  You  see  that 
you  are  now  almost  a  man.  Observe  the  game 
you  have  brought  me  !  It  will  not  be  long  be 
fore  you  will  leave  me,  for  a  warrior  must  seek 
opportunities  to  make  him  great  among  his  people. 

"  You  must  endeavor  to  equal  your  father  and 
grandfather,"  she  went  on.  "  They  were  warriors 
and  feast-makers.  But  it  is  not  the  poor  hunter 
who  makes  many  feasts.  Do  you  not  remember 
the  £  Legend  of  the  Feast-  Maker/  who  gave 
forty  feasts  in  twelve  moons  ?  And  have  you  for 
gotten  the  story  of  the  warrior  who  sougimhey  '... 
will  of  the  Grea±_,Alystery  ?  To-day  you  will 
make  your  first  offering  to  him." 

The  concluding  sentence  fairly  dilated  the  eyes 


104  Indian  Boyhood 

of  the  young  hunter,  for  he  felt  that  a  great  event/ 
was  about  to  occur,  in  which   he  would  be   the 
principal    actor.       But  Uncheedah  resumed   her 

speech. 
*,— — 

X"  "  You  must  give  up  one  of  your  belongings  — 
/  (  whichever  is  dearest  to  you  —  for  this  is  to  be  a 
/^4  sacrificial  offering." 

This  somewhat  confused  the  boy ;  not  that  he 
was  selfish,  but  rather  uncertain  as  to  what  would 
be  the  most  appropriate  thing  to  give.  Then, 
too,  he  supposed  that  his  grandmother  referred 
to  his  ornaments  and  playthings  only.  So  he 
volunteered : 

"  I  can  give  up  my  best  bow  and  arrows,  and 
all  the  paints  I  have,  and — and  my  bear's  claws 
necklace,  grandmother !  " 

"  Are  these  the  things  dearest  to  you  ? "  she 
demanded. 

"Not  the  bow  and  arrows,  but  the  paints  will 
be  very  hard  to  get,  for  there  are  no  white  people 
near;  and  the  necklace — it  is  not  easy  to  get 
one  like  it  again.  I  will  also  give  up  my  otter- 
skin  head  -  dress,  if  you  think  that  is  not 
enough." 

"  But  think,  my  boy,  you  have  not  yet  men 
tioned  the  thing  that  will  be  a  pleasant  offering  to 
the  Great  Mystery." 


Hakadatis  First  Offering  105 

The  boy  looked  into  the  woman's  face  with  a 
puzzled  expression. 

u  I  have  nothing  else  as  good  as  those  things  I 
have  named,  grandmother,  unless  it  is  my  spotted 
pony ;  and  I  am  sure  that  the  Great  Mystery~~will  \\/ 
notTequire  a  little  boy  to  make  him  so  large  a/ 
gift.     Besides,  my  uncle  gave   three    otter-skins 
and  five  eagle-feathers  for  him  and  I  promised  to 
keep  him  a  long  while,  if  the  Blackfeet  or  the 
Crows  do  not  steal  him." 

Uncheedah  was  not  fully  satisfied  with  the  boy's 
free  offerings.  Perhaps  it  had  not  occurred  to  him 
what  she  really  wanted.  But  Uncheedah  knew 
where  his  affection  was  vested.  His  faithful  dog, 
his  pet  and  companion  —  Hakadah  was  almost  in 
separable  from  the  loving  beast. 

She  was  sure  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  obtain 
his  consent  to  sacrifice  the  animal,  but  she  ven 
tured  upon  a  final  appeal. 

"  You  must  remember,"  she  said,  "  that  in  this 
offering  you  will  call  upon  him  who  ]ooks_a]Lyjou 
from  every  creation^,  In_lhe_wm,d.you  heajrjii 
"wKisper~to_jou.      Hegives  his  war-whoop  in  the 
thunder.     He  wjL^ches_j[ou^i^day  with   his  eye,  X 
the_sun  ;  at  night,  he  gazes  upon  your  sleeping 
countenance  through  the  mocTn.     In  short,  it  is 
the  Mystery  of  Mysteries,  who  controls  all  things, 


106  Indian  Boyhood 

to  whom  you  will  make  your  first  offering.  By 
this  act,  you  will  ask  him  to  grant  to  you  what  he 
has  granted  to  few  men.  I  know  you  wish  to  be 
a  great  warrior  and  hunter.  I  am  not  prepared  to 
see  my  Hakadah  show  any  cowardice, /or  the  love 
,/  of  possessions  is  a  woman's  trai^and  not  a  brave's." 

During  this  speech,  the  boy  had  been  complete 
ly  aroused  to  the  spirit  of  manliness,  and  in  his 
excitement  was  willing  to  give  up  anything  he  had 
—  even  his  pony  !  But  he  was  unmindful  of  his 
friend  and  companion,  Ohitika,  the  dog !  So, 
scarcely  had  Uncheedah  finished  speaking,  when 
he  almost  shouted : 

"  Grandmother,  I  will  give  up  any  of  my  pos 
sessions  for  the  offering  to  the  Great  Mystery  ! 
You  may  select  what  you  think  will  be  most  pleas 
ing  to  him/' 

There  were  two  silent  spectators  of  this  little 
dialogue.  One  was  Wahchewin ;  the  other  was 
Ohitika.  The  woman  had  been  invited  to  stay, 
although  only  a  neighbor.  The  dog,  by  force  of 
habit,  had  taken  up  his  usual  position  by  the  side 
of  his  master  when  they  entered  the  teepee.  With 
out  moving  a  muscle,  save  those  of  his  eyes,  he 
had  been  a  very  close  observer  of  what  passed. 

Had  the  dog  but  moved  once  to  attract  the  at 
tention  of  his  little  friend,  he  might  have  been 


, 


Hakadab's  First  Offering  107 

dissuaded    from     that    impetuous    exclamation : 
"  Grandmother,  I  will  give  up  any  of  my  posses 


sions  ! 


It  was  hard  for  Uncheedah  to  tell  the  boy  that 
he  must  part  with  his  dog,  but  she  was  equal  to 
the  situation. 

"  Hakadah,"  she  proceeded  cautiously,  "  you 
are  a  young  brave.  I  know,  though  young,  your 
heart  is  strong  and  your  courage  is  great.  You 
will  be  pleased  to  give  up  the  dearest  thing  you 
have  for  your  first  offering.  You  must  give  up 
Ohitika.  He  is  brave ;  and  you,  too,  are  brave. 
He  will  not  fear  death;  you  will  bear  his  loss  brave 
ly/  Come  —  here  are  four  bundles  of  paints  and 
a  filled  pipe  —  let  us  go  to  the  place." 

When  the  last  words  were  uttered,  Hakadah  did 
not  seem  to  hear  them.  He  was  simply  unable  to 
speak.  To  a  civilized  eye,  he  would  have  ap 
peared  at  that  moment  like  a  little  copper  statue. 
His  bright  black  eyes  were  fast  melting  in  floods 
of  tears,  when  he  caught  his  grandmothers  eye 
and  recollected  tier  oft-repeated  adage  :  "  Tears 
for  woman  and  thejvar-whoop  for  man  to  drown 
sorrow  i 

He  swallowed  two  or  three  big  mouthfuls  of 
heart-ache  and  the  little  warrior  was  master  of  the 
situation. 


Indian  Boyhood 

Ct  Grandmother,  my  Brave  will  have  to  die  !  Let 
me  tie  together  two  of  the  prettiest  tails  of  the 
squirrels  that  he  and  I  killed  this  morning,  to  show 
rv       to  the  Great  Mystery  what  a  hunter  he  has  been. 
J_,et  me  paint  him  myself." 

This  request  Uncheedah  could  not  refuse 
and  she  left  the  pair  alone  for  a  few  minutes, 
while  she  went  to  ask  Wacoota  to  execute  Ohi 
tika. 

f    Every  Indian  boy  knows  that,  when  a  warrior 

J  (^js  about  to  meet  death,  he  must  sing  a  death  dirge. 

' /*"  Hakadah  thought  of  his  Ohitika  as  a  person  who 

[      would  meet  his  death  without  a  struggle,  so  he  began 

\      to  sing  a  dirge  for  him,  at  the  same  time  hugging 

'.  \     him  tight  to  himself.     As  if  he  were  a  human  be- 

,\>  \  & 

~  UJng,  he  whispered  in  his  ear: 

"  Be  brave,  my  Ohitika  !  I  shall  remember 
you  the  first  time  I  am  upon  the  war-path  in  the 
Ojibway  country." 

At  last  he  heard  Uncheedah  talking  with  a  man 
outside  the  teepee,  so  he  quickly  took  up  his 
paints.  Ohitika  was  a  jet-black  dog,  with  a  silver 
tip  on  the  end  of  his  tail  and  on  his  nose,  beside 
one  white  paw  and  a  white  star  upon  a  protuber 
ance  between  his  ears.  Hakadah  knew  that  a  man 
who  prepares  for  death  usually  paints  with  red  and 
Nature  had  partially  provided  Ohitika  in 


Hakadah' s  First  Offering  109 

this  respect,  so  that  only  red  was  required  and  this 
Hakadah  supplied  generously. 

Then  he  took  off  a  piece  of  red  cloth  and 
around  the  dog's  neck ;  to  this  he  fastened  two  of 
the  squirrels'  tails  and  a  wing  from  the  oriole  they 
had  killed  that  morning. 

Just  then  it  occurred  to  him  that  good  warriors 
always    mourn    for   their    departed    friends    and 
^he^usual^mourning  was  black  paint.   He  loosened     / 
his  black  braided  locks,  ground  a  dead  coal,  mixed 
it  with  bear's  oil  and  rubbed  it  on  his  entire 

During  this  time  every  hole  in  the  tent  was  oc 
cupied  with  an  eye.     Among  the  lookers-on  was 
his  grandmother.     She_was  very_near 
Had  she  not  feared  the  wrath  of  the  Great 
ter^she  would  have  been  happy  to  call  out  to  the 
boy  :     "  Keep  your  dear  dog,  my  child  !  " 

As  it  was,  Hakadah  came  out  of  the  teepee  with 
his  face  looking  like  an  eclipsed  moon,  leading  his 
beautiful  dog,  who  was  even  handsomer  than  ever 
with  the  red  touches  on  his  specks  of  white. 

It  was  now  Uncheedah's  turn  to  struggle  with 
the  storm  and  burden  in  her  soul.  But  the  boy 
was  emboldened  by  the  people's  admiration  of  his 
bravery,  and  did  not  shed  a  tear.  As  soon  as  she 
was  able  to  speak,  the  loving  grandmother  said  : 

"  ^{o,  my  youngbrave,  not  so !     You  must  not 


1 1  o  Indian  Boyhood 

NY  mourn  for  your  first  offering.  Washjour  face 
r  X  and  then  we  will  go." 

TKeboy  obeyed,  submitted  Ohitika  to  Wacoota 
with  a  smile,  and  walked  off  with  his  grandmother 
and  Wahchewin. 

They  followed  a  well-beaten  foot-path  leading 
along  the  bank  of  the  Assiniboine  river,  through 
a  beautiful  grove  of  oak,  and  finally  around  and 
under  a  very  high  cliff.  The  murmuring  of  the 
river  came  up  from  just  below.  On  the  opposite 
side  was  a  perpendicular  white  cliff,  from  which  ex 
tended  back  a  gradual  slope  of  land,  clothed  with 
the  majestic  mountain  oak.  The  scene  was  im- 
N^pressive  and  wild. 

Wahchewin  had  paused  without  a  word  when 
the  little  party  reached  the  edge  of  the  cliff.  It 
had  been  arranged  between  her  and  Uncheedah 
that  she  should  wait  there  for  Wacoota,  who  was 
to  bring  as  far  as  that  the  portion  of  the  offering 
with  which  he  had  been  entrusted. 

The  boy  and  his  grandmother  descended  the 
bank,  following  a  tortuous  foot-path  until  they 
reached  the  waters  edge.  Then  they  proceeded 
to  the  mouth  of  an  immense  cave,  some  fifty  feet 
above  the  river,  under  the  cliff.  A  little  stream 
of  limpid  water  trickled  down  from  a  spring  with 
in  the  cave.  The  little  watercourse  served  as  a 


Hakadafrs  First  Offering  ill 

sort  of  natural  staircase  for  the  visitors.  A  cool, 
pleasant  atmosphere  exhaled  from  the  mouth  of 
the  cj^Lfcnn,/  Really  it  was  a  shrine  of  nature  and 
it  is  not  strange  that  it  was  so  regarded  by  the 
tribe. 

A  feeling  of  awe  and  reverence  came  to  the 
"  It  is  the  home  of  the  Great  Mystery,"  he 
thought  to  himself;  and  the  impressiveness  of 
his  surroundings  made  him  forget  his  sorrow. 

Very  soon  Wahchewin  came  with  some  diffi 
culty  to  the  steps.  She  placed  the  body  of  Ohi- 
tika  upon  the  ground  in  a  life-like  position  and 
again  left  the  two  alone. 

As  soon  as  she  disappeared  from  view,  Unchee- 
dah,  with  all  solemnity  and  reverence,  unfast 
ened  the  leather  strings  that  held  the  four  small 
bundles  of  paints  and  one  of  tobacco,  while  the 
filled  pipe  was  laid  beside  the  dead  Ohitika. 

She  scattered  paints  and  tobacco  all  about. 
Again  they  stood  a  few  moments  silently;  then  she 
drew  a  deep  breath  and  began  her  prayer  to  the 
Great  Mystery : 

"  O,  Great  Mystery,  we  hear  thy  voice  in  the 
rushing  waters  below  us  !  We  hear  thy  whisper 
in  the  great  oaks  above  !  Our  spirits  are  refreshed 
with  thy  breath  from  within  this  cave.  O,  hear 
our  prayer  !  Behold  this  little  boy  and  bless  him  ! 


1 1 2  Indian  Boyhood 

Make  him  a  warrior  and  a  hunter  as  great  as  thou 
didst  make  his  father  and  grandfather." 

And  with  this  prayer  the  little  warrior  had  com 
pleted  his  first  offering. 


Family  "Traditions 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


I:    A  Visit  to  Smoky  Day 

MOKY  DAY  was  widely  known  \  ,, 
among  us  as  a  preserver  of  history J  ' 
and    legend.     He    was    a  living 
book   of  the  traditions  and  his 
tory  of  his  people.  Among  his  eM 
fects  were  bundles  of  small  sticks^ 
notched  and  painted.     One  bundle  contained  the}/( 
number  of  his  own  years.  Another  was  composedX  £ 
of  sticks  representing  the  important  events  of  his-  ' 
tory,  each  of  which  was  marked  with  the  number 
of  years  since  that  particular  event  occurred.    For 
instance,  there  was  the  year  when  so  many  stars  )/ 
jfelljrom  the  sky,  with  the  number  of  years  since 
it  happened  cut  into  the  wood.  Another  recorded  / 
the    appearance    of  a    comet ;    and    from     these  ^ 
heavenly  wonders  the  great   national  catastrophes   I 
and  victories  were  reckoned. 

But  I  will  try  to  repeat  some  of  his  favorite 
narratives  as  I  heard  them  from  his  own  lips.  I 
went  to  him  one  day  with  a  piece  of  tobacco  and 

' 


1 1 6  Indian  Boyhood 

an  eagle-feather ;  not  to  buy  his  MSS.,  but 
hoping  for  the  privilege  of  hearing  him  tell  of 
some  of  the  brave  deeds  of  our  people  in  remote 
times. 

The  tall  and  large  old  man  greeted  me  with  his 
usual  courtesy  and  thanked  me  for  my  present. 
As  I  recall  the  meeting,  I  well  remember  his  un 
usual  stature,  his  slow  speech  and  gracious  man 
ner. 

"Ah,  Ohiyesa!"  said  he,  "my  young  warrior 
—  for  such  you  will  be  some  day  !  I  know  this 
by  your  seeking  to  hear  of  the  great  deeds  of  your 
ancestors.  That  is  a  good  sign,  and  I  love  to  re 
peat  these  stories  to  one  who  is  destined  to  be  a 
brave  man.  I  do  not  wish  to  lull  you  to  sleep  with 
sweet  words ;  but  I  know  the  conduct  of  your  pa 
ternal  ancestors.  They  have  been  and  are  still 
among  the  bravest  of  our  tribe.  To  prove  this,  I 
will  relate  what  happened  in  your  paternal  grand 
father's  family,  twenty  years  ago. 

"Two  of  his  brothers  were  murdered  by  a  jeal 
ous  young  man  of  their  own  band.  The  deed 
was  committed  without  just  cause ;  therefore  all 
the  braves  were  agreed  to  punish  the  murderer 
with  death.  When  your  grandfather  was  ap 
proached  with  this  suggestion,  hereglied  that  he 
and  the  remaining  brothers  could  not  condescend 


A  Visit  to  Smoky  Day  1 1 7 

_the  j>lood  of  such  a  wretch^but  that  the 
others  might  do  whatever  they  thought  just  with 
the  young  man.      These  men  were  foremost  among 
the  warriors  of  the  Sioux,  and  no  one  questioned 
their  courage  ;  yet  when  this  calamity  was  brought 
upon  them  by  a  villain,  they  refused  to  touch  him  ! 
This,  my  boy,  is  a  test  of  true  bravery.     Self-pos^j      / 
session  and  self-control  at  such  a  moment  is  proof  I 
of  a  strong  heart. 

"  You    have    heard    of  Jingling  Thunder  the 
elder,  whose  brave  deeds  are  well  known  to  the 
Villagers  of  the  Lakes.    He  sought  honor  <  in  the 
gates  of  the  enemy/  as  we  often  say.     The  Great  Y/ 
Mystery  was  especially  kind  to  him,  because  he  J^ 
was  obedient. 

Cf  Many  winters  ago  there  was  a  great  battle,  in 
which  Jingling  Thunder  won  his  first  honors.  It 
was  forty  winters  before  the  falling  of  many  stars, 
which  event  occurred  twenty  winters  after  the 
coming  of  the  black-robed  white  priest ;  and  that 
was  fourteen  winters  before  the  annihilation  by 
our  people  of  thirty  lodges  of  the  Sac  and  Fox 
Indians.  I  well  remember  the  latter  event  —  it 
was  just  fifty  winters  ago.  However,  I  will  count 
my  sticks  again." 

So  saying,  Smoky  Day  produced  his  bundle  of 
variously  colored  sticks,  about  five  inches  long. 


1 1 8  Indian  Boyhood 

He  counted  and  gave  them  to  me  to  verify  his 
calculation. 

"  But  you,'*  he  resumed,  "  do  not  care  to  re 
member  the  winters  that  have  passed.  You  are 
young,  and  care  only  for  the  event  and  the 
deed.  It  was  very  many  years  ago  that  this 
thing  happened  that  I  am  about  to  tell  you, 
and  yet  our  people  speak  of  it  with  as  much 
enthusiasm  as  if  it  were  only  yesterday.  Our 
heroes  are  always  kept  alive  in  the  minds  of  the 
nation. 

"  Our  people  lived  then  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Mississippi,  a  little  south  of  where  Imnejah-skah, 
or  White  Cliff  (St.  Paul,  Minnesota),  now  stands. 
After  they  left  Mille  Lacs  they  founded  several 
villages,  but  finally  settled  in  this  spot,  whence 
the  tribes  have  gradually  dispersed.  Here  a 
battle  occurred  which  surpassed  all  others  in 
history.  It  lasted  one  whole  day  —  the  Sacs 
and  Foxes  and  the  Dakotas  against  the  Ojib- 
ways. 

"  An  invitation  in  the  usual  form  of  a  filled  pipe 
was  brought  to  the  Sioux  by  a  brave  of  the  Sac 
and  Fox  tribe,  to  make  a  general  attack  upon  their 
common  enemy.  The  Dakota  braves  quickly 
signified  their  willingness  in  the  same  manner,  and 
it  having  been  agreed  to  meet  upon  the  St.  Croix 


A  Visit  to  Smoky  Day  119 

river,  preparations  were  immediately  begun  to 
despatch  a  large  war-party. 

"  Among  our  people  there  were  many  tried  war 
riors  whose  names  were  known,  and  every  youth  of 
a  suitable  age  was  desirous  of  emulating  them.  As 
these  young  novices  issued  from  every  camp  and 
almost  every  teepee,  their  mothers,  sisters,  grand 
fathers  and  grandmothers  were  singing  for  them 
the  f  strong-heart '  songs.  An  old  woman,  liv 
ing  with  her  only  grandchild,  the  remnant  of  a 
once  large  band  who  had  all  been  killed  at 
three  different  times  by  different  parties  of 
the  Ojibways,  was  conspicuous  among  the  sing 
ers. 

"  Everyone  who  heard,  cast  toward  her  a  sym 
pathetic  glance,  for  it  was  well  known  that  she  and 
her  grandson  constituted  the  remnant  of  a  band 
of  Sioux,  and  that  her  song  indicated  that  her  pre 
cious  child  had  attained  the  age  of  a  warrior,  and 
was  now  about  to  join  the  war-party,  and  to  seek 
a  just  revenge  for  the  annihilation  of  his  family. 
This  was  Jingling  Thunder,  also  familiarly  known 
as  'The  Little  Last/  He  was  seen  to  carry  with 
him  some  family  relics  in  the  shape  of  war-clubs 
and  lances. 

"  The  aged  woman's  song  was  something  like 
this: 


i  20  Indian  Boyhood 

"Go,  my  brave  'Jingling  Thunder  f 

Forever  keep  thine  eyes 
Upon  the  silvery  path 

Across  the  evening  skies. 
Behold  that  glittering  track  — 
Behold  the  road  to  glory  !  * 


ct  And  yet,  my  child,  remember 
The  author  of  your  band  ! 

How  pitiful  to  live 

So  helpless  and  alone  — 

Survivor  of  the  young  ! 
No,  no  !  return  a  hero  — 

'  Stablish  our  name  and  kin  /" 


"The  Sacs  and  Foxes  were  very  daring  and 
confident  upon  this  occasion.  They  proposed  to 
the  Sioux  that  they  should  engage  alone  with  the 
enemy  at  first,  and  let  us  see  how  their  braves  can 
fight !  To  this  our  people  assented,  and  they  as 
sembled  upon  the  hills  to  watch  the  struggle  be 
tween  their  allies  and  the  Ojibways.  It  seemed  to 
be  an  equal  fight,  and  for  a  time  no  one  could  tell 
how  the  contest  would  end.  Young  Jingling 
Thunder  was  an  impatient  spectator,  and  it  was 

*  The  Milky  Way — believed  by  the  Dakotas  to  be  the  road 
travelled  by  the  spirits  of  departed  braves. 


A  Visit  to  Smoky  Day  1 2 1 

hard  to  keep  him  from  rushing  forward  to  meet 
his  foes. 

"  At  last  a  great  shout  went  up,  and  the  Sacs 
and  Foxes  were  seen  to  be  retreating  with  heavy 
loss.  Then  the  Sioux  took  the  field,  and  were  fast 
winning  the  day,  when  fresh  reinforcements  came 
from  the  north  for  the  Ojibways.  Up  to  this  time 
Jingling  Thunder  had  been  among  the  foremost 
in  the  battle,  and  had  engaged  in  several  close  en 
counters.  But  this  fresh  attack  of  the  Ojibways 
was  unexpected,  and  the  Sioux  were  somewhat 
tired.  Besides,  they  had  told  the  Sacs  and  Foxes 
to  sit  upon  the  hills  and  rest  their  weary  limbs 
and  take  lessons  from  their  friends  the  Sioux ; 
therefore  no  aid  was  looked  for  from  any  quarter. 

"A  great  Ojibway  chief  made  a  fierce  onslaught 
on  the  Dakotas.  This  man  Jingling  Thunder 
now  rushed  forward  to  meet.  The  Ojibway 
boastfully  shouted  to  his  warriors  that  he  had  met 
a  tender  fawn  and  would  reserve  to  himself  the 
honor  of  destroying  it.  Jingling  Thunder,  on  his 
side,  exclaimed  that  he  had  met  the  aged  bear  of 
whom  he  had  heard  so  much,  but  that  he  would 
need  no  assistance  to  overcome  him. 

"The  powerful  man  flashed  his  tomahawk 
in  the  air  over  the  youthful  warrior's  head,  but 
the  brave  sprang  aside  as  quick  as  lightning, 


i  2  2  Indian  Boyhood 

and  in  the  same  instant  speared  his  enemy  to  the 
heart.  As  the  Ojibway  chief  gave  a  gasping  yell 
and  fell  in  death,  his  people  lost  courage ;  while 
the  success  of  the  brave  Jingling  Thunder 
strengthened  the  hearts  of  the  Sioux,  for  they  im 
mediately  followed  up  their  advantage  and  drove 
the  enemy  out  of  their  territory. 

"This  was  the  beginning  of  Jingling  Thunder's 
career  as  a  warrior.  He  afterwards  performed  even 
greater  acts  of  valor.  He  became  the  ancestor 
of  a  famous  band  of  the  Sioux,  of  whom  your  own 
father,  Ohiyesa,  was  a  member.  You  have  doubt 
less  heard  his  name  in  connection  with  many  great 
events.  Yet  he  was  a  patient  man,  and  was  never 
known  to  quarrel  with  one  of  his  own  nation." 

That  night  I  lay  awake  a  long  time  commit 
ting  to  memory  the  tradition  I  had  heard,  and  the 
next  day  I  boasted  to  my  playmate,  Little  Rain 
bow,  about  my  first  lesson  from  the  old  story 
teller.  To  this  he  replied: 

"  I  would  rather  have  Weyuhah  for  my  teacher. 
I  think  he  remembers  more  than  any  of  the  others. 
When  Weyuhah  tells  about  a  battle  you  can  see  it 
yourself;  you  can  even  hear  the  war-whoop,"  he 
went  on  with  much  enthusiasm. 

"  That  is  what  his  friends  say  of  him  ;  but  those 
who  are  not  his  friends  say  that  he  brings  many 


A  Visit  to  Smoky  Day  i  2  3 

warriors  into  the  battle  who  were  not  there/'  I  an 
swered  indignantly,  for  I  could  not  admit  that  old 
Smoky  Day  could  have  a  rival. 

Before  I  went  to  him  again  Uncheedah  had 
thoughtfully  prepared  a  nice  venison  roast  for 
the  teacher,  and  I  was  proud  to  take  him  some 
thing  good  to  eat  before  beginning  his  story. 

"How,"  was  his  greeting,  "  so  you  have  begun 
already,  Ohiyesa  ?  Your  family  were  ever  feast- 
makers  as  well  as  warriors." 

Having  done  justice  to  the  tender  meat,  he 
wiped  his  knife  by  sticking  it  into  the  ground 
several  times,  and  put  it  away  in  its  sheath,  after 
which  he  cheerfully  recommenced  : 

"It  came  to  pass  not  many  winters  ago  that 
Wakinyan-tonka,  the  great  medicine  man,  had  a 
vision ;  whereupon  a  war-party  set  out  for  the 
Ojibway  country.  There  were  three  brothers  of 
your  family  among  them,  all  of  whom  were  noted 
for  valor  and  the  chase. 

"  Seven  battles  were  fought  in  succession  before 
they  turned  to  come  back.  They  had  secured  a 
number  of  the  enemy's  birch  canoes,  and  the  whole 
party  came  floating  down  the  Mississippi,  joyous 
and  happy  because  of  their  success. 

"  But  one  night  the  war-chief  announced  that 
there  was  misfortune  at  hand.  The  next  day  no 


1 24  Indian  Boyhood 

one  was  willing  to  lead  the  fleet.  The  youngest 
of  the  three  brothers  finally  declared  that  he  did 
not  fear  death,  for  it  comes  when  least  expected ; 
and  he  volunteered  to  take  the  lead. 

"  It  happened  that  this  young  man  had  left  a 
pretty  maiden  behind  him,  whose  choice  needle 
work  adorned  his  quiver.  He  was  very  hand 
some  as  well  as  brave. 

"  At  daybreak  the  canoes  were  again  launched 
upon  the  bosom  of  the  great  river.  All  was  quiet 
-a  few  birds  beginning  to  sing.  Just  as  the  sun- 
peeped  through  the  eastern  tree-tops  a  great  war- 
cry  came  forth  from  the  near  shores,  and  there 
was  a  rain  of  arrows.  The  birchen  canoes  were 
pierced,  and  in  the  excitement  many  were  cap 
sized. 

"  The  Sioux  were  at  a  disadvantage.  There  was 
no  shelter.  Their  bow-strings  and  the  feathers 
on  their  arrows  were  wet.  The  bold  Ojibways 
saw  their  advantage  and  pressed  closer  and  closer; 
but  our  men  fought  desperately,  half  in  and  half 
out  of  the  water,  until  the  enemy  was  forced  at 
last  to  retreat.  Nevertheless  that  was  a  sad  day 
for  the  Wahpeton  Sioux  ;  but  saddest  of  all  was 
Winona's  fate  ! 

"  Morning  Star,  her  lover,  who  led  the  canoe 
fleet  that  morning,  was  among  the  slain.  For  two 


A  Visit  to  Smoky  Day  125 

days  the  Sioux  braves  searched  in  the  water  for 
their  dead,  but  his  body  was  not  recovered. 

"  At  home,  meanwhile,  the  people  had  been 
alarmed  by  ill  omens.  Winona,  eldest  daughter  of 
the  great  chief,  one  day  entered  her  birch  canoe 
alone  and  paddled  up  the  Mississippi,  gazing  now 
into  the  water  around  her,  now  into  the  blue  sky 
above.  She  thought  she  heard  some  young  men 
giving  courtship  calls  in  the  distance,  just  as  they 
do  at  night  when  approaching  the  teepee  of  the 
beloved ;  and  she  knew  the  voice  of  Morning 
Star  well !  Surely  she  could  distinguish  his  call 
among  the  others  !  Therefore  she  listened  yet 
more  intently,  and  looked  skyward  as  her  light 
canoe  glided  gently  up  stream. 

"  Ah,  poor  Winona  !  She  saw  only  six  sand 
hill  cranes,  looking  no  larger  than  mosquitoes,  as 
they  flew  in  circles  high  up  in  the  sky,  going  east 
where  all  spirits  go.  Something  said  to  her : 
c  Those  are  the  spirits  of  some  of  the  Sioux  braves, 
and  Morning  Star  is  among  them  ! '  Her  eye 
followed  the  birds  as  they  traveled  in  a  chain  of 
circles. 

"  Suddenly  she  glanced  downward.  c  What  is 
this  ? '  she  screamed  in  despair.  It  was  Morn 
ing  Star's  body,  floating  down  the  river;  his 
quiver,  worked  by  her  own  hands  and  now 


126  Indian  Boyhood 

dyed  with  his  blood,  lay  upon  the  surface  of 
the  water. 

" c  Ah,  Great  Mystery  !  why  do  you  punish  a 
poor  girl  so  ?  Let  me  go  with  the  spirit  of  Morn 
ing  Star ! ' 

"  It  was  evening.  The  pale  moon  arose  in  the 
east  and  the  stars  were  bright.  At  this  very  hour 
the  news  of  the  disaster  was  brought  home  by  a 
returning  scout,  and  the  village  was  plunged  in 
grief,  but  Winona's  spirit  had  flown  away.  No 
one  ever  saw  her  again. 

"  This  is  enough  for  to-day,  my  boy.  You 
may  come  again  to-morrow." 

II:    The  Stone  Boy 

|O,mita  koda!  "  (welcome, friend !) 
was  Smoky  Day's  greeting,  as  I 
entered  his  lodge  on  the  third 
day.  "  I  hope  you  did  not  dream 
of  a  watery  combat  with  the  Ojib- 
ways,  after  the  history  I  repeated 
to  you  yesterday,"  the  old  sage  continued,  with  a 
complaisant  smile  playing  upon  his  face. 

"  No,"  I  said,  meekly,  "  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
I  have  wished  that  the  sun  might  travel  a  little 
faster,  so  that  I  could  come  for  another  story." 
"  Well,  this  time  I  will  tell  you  one  of  the  kind 


The  Stone  Boy  127 

we  call  myths  or  fairy  stories.  They  are  about  men 
and  women  who  do  wonderful  things  —  things  that 
ordinary  people  cannot  do  at  all.  Sometimes  they 
are  not  exactly  human  beings,  for  they  partake  of 
the  nature  of  men  and  beasts,  or  of  men  and  gods. 
I  tell  you  this  beforehand,  so  that  you  may  not  ask 
any  questions,  or  be  puzzled  by  the  inconsistency 
of  the  actors  in  these  old  stories. 

"  Once  there  were  ten  brothers  who  lived  with 
their  only  sister,  a  young  maiden  of  sixteen  sum 
mers.  She  was  very  skilful  at  her  embroidery,  and 
her  brothers  all  had  beautifully  worked  quivers  and 
bows  embossed  with  porcupine  quills.  They  loved 
and  were  kind  to  her,  and  the  maiden  in  her  turn 
loved  her  brothers  dearly,  and  was  content  with 
her  position  as  their  housekeeper.  They  were 
great  hunters,  and  scarcely  ever  remained  at 
home  during  the  day,  but  when  they  returned 
at  evening  they  would  relate  to  her  all  their 
adventures. 

"  One  night  they  came  home  one  by  one  with 
their  game,  as  usual,  all  but  the  eldest,  who  did  not 
return.  It  was  supposed  by  the  other  brothers  that 
he  had  pursued  a  deer  too  far  from  the  lodge,  or 
perhaps  shot  more  game  than  he  could  well  carry  ; 
but  the  sister  had  a  presentiment  that  something 
dreadful  had  befallen  him.  She  was  partially  con- 


128  Indian  Boyhood 

soled  by  the  second  brother,  who  offered  to  find 
the  lost  one  in  the  morning. 

"  Accordingly,  he  went  in  search  of  him,  while 
the  rest  set  out  on  the  hunt  as  usual.  Toward 
evening  all  had  returned  safely,  save  the  brother 
who  went  in  search  of  the  absent.  Again,  the  next 
older  brother  went  to  look  for  the  others,  and  he 
too  returned  no  more.  All  the  young  men  disap 
peared  one  by  one  in  this  manner,  leaving  their 
sister  alone. 

"  The  maiden's  sorrow  was  very  great.  She  wan 
dered  everywhere,  weeping  and  looking  for  her 
brothers,  but  found  no  trace  of  them.  One  day  she 
was  walking  beside  a  beautiful  little  stream,  whose 
clear  waters  went  laughing  and  singing  on  their  way. 
She  could  see  the  gleaming  pebbles  at  the  bottom, 
and  one  in  particular  seemed  so  lovely  to  her 
tear-bedimmed  eyes,  that  she  stooped  and  picked 
it  up,  dropping  it  within  her  skin  garment 
into  her  bosom.  For  the  first  time  since  her 
misfortunes  she  had  forgotten  herself  and  her 
sorrow. 

"  At  last  she  went  home,  much  happier  than 
she  had  been,  though  she  could  not  have  told  the 
reason  why.  On  the  following  day  she  sought  again 
the  place  where  she  had  found  the  pebble,  and  this 
time  she  fell  asleep  on  the  banks  of  the  stream. 


The  Stone  Boy  129 

When  she  awoke,  there  lay  a  beautiful  babe  in  her 
bosom. 

"  She  took  it  up  and  kissed  it  many  times.  And 
the  child  was  a  boy,  but  it  was  heavy  like  a  stone, 
so  she  called  him  c  Little  Stone  Boy.'  The  maiden 
cried  no  more,  for  she  was  very  happy  with  her 
baby.  The  child  was  unusually  knowing,  and 
walked  almost  from  its  birth. 

"  One  day  Stone  Boy  discovered  the  bow  and 
arrows  of  one  of  his  uncles,  and  desired  to  have 
them  ;  but  his  mother  cried,  and  said  : 

" c  Wait,  my  son,  until  you  are  a  young  man/ 

"  She  made  him  some  little  ones,  and  with  these 
he  soon  learned  to  hunt,  and  killed  small  game 
enough  to  support  them  both.  When  he  had 
grown  to  be  a  big  boy,  he  insisted  upon  knowing 
whose  were  the  ten  bows  that  still  hung  upon  the 
walls  of  his  mother's  lodge. 

"At  last  she  was  obliged  to  tell  him  the  sad 
story  of  her  loss. 

"  c  Mother,  I  shall  go  in  search  of  my  uncles,' 
exclaimed  the  Stone  Boy. 

"  c  But  you  will  be  lost  like  them,'  she  replied, 
c  and  then  I  shall  die  of  grief.' 

" c  No,  I  shall  not  be  lost.  I  shall  bring  your 
ten  brothers  back  to  you.  Look,  I  will  give  you 
a  sign.  I  will  take  a  pillow,  and  place  it  upon  end. 


130  Indian  Boyhood 

Watch  this,  for  as  long  as  I  am  living  the 
pillow  will  stay  as  I  put  it.  Mother,  give  me 
some  food  and  some  moccasins  with  which  to 
travel ! ' 

"  Taking  the  bow  of  one  of  his  uncles,  with  its 
quiver  full  of  arrows,  the  Stone  Boy  departed.  As 
he  journeyed  through  the  forest  he  spoke  to  every 
animal  he  met,  asking  for  news  of  his  lost  uncles. 
Sometimes  he  called  to  them  at  the  top  of  his 
voice.  Once  he  thought  he  heard  an  answer,  so 
he  walked  in  the  direction  of  the  sound.  But  it 
was  only  a  great  grizzly  bear  who  had  wantonly 
mimicked  the  boy's  call.  Then  Stone  Boy  was 
greatly  provoked. 

"  £  Was  it  you  who  answered  my  call,  you  long- 
face  P  *  he  exclaimed. 

"  Upon  this  the  latter  growled  and  said : 

" f  You  had  better  be  careful  how  you  address 
me,  or  you  may  be  sorry  for  what  you  say  !  ' 

" c  Who  cares  for  you,  you  red-eyes,  you  ugly 
thing ! '  the  boy  replied  ;  whereupon  the  grizzly 
immediately  set  upon  him. 

"  But  the  boy's  flesh  became  as  hard  as  stone, 
and  the  bear's  great  teeth  and  claws  made  no  im 
pression  upon  it.  Then  he  was  so  dreadfully 
heavy  ;  and  he  kept  laughing  all  the  time  as  if  he 
were  being  tickled,  which  greatly  aggravated  the 


The  Stone  Boy  131 

bear.  Finally  Stone  Boy  pushed  him  aside  and 
sent  an  arrow  to  his  heart. 

"  He  walked  on  for  some  distance  until  he 
came  to  a  huge  fallen  pine  tree,  which  had  evi 
dently  been  killed  by  lightning.  The  ground 
near  by  bore  marks  of  a  struggle,  and  Stone  Boy 
picked  up  several  arrows  exactly  like  those  of  his 
uncle's,  which  he  himself  carried. 

"While  he  was  examining  these  things,  he 
heard  a  sound  like  that  of  a  whirlwind,  far  up  in 
the  heavens.  He  looked  up  and  saw  a  black 
speck  which  grew  rapidly  larger  until  it  became  a 
dense  cloud.  Out  of  it  came  a  flash  and  then  a 
thunderbolt.  The  boy  was  obliged  to  wink  ;  and 
when  he  opened  his  eyes,  behold  !  a  stately  man 
stood  before  him  and  challenged  him  to  single 
combat. 

"  Stone  Boy  accepted  the  challenge  and  they 
grappled  with  one  another.  The  man  from  the 
clouds  was  gigantic  in  stature  and  very  powerful. 
But  Stone  Boy  was  both  strong  and  unnaturally 
heavy  and  hard  to  hold.  The  great  warrior  from 
the  sky  sweated  from  his  exertions,  and  there 
came  a  heavy  shower.  Again  and  again  the 
lightnings  flashed  about  them  as  the  two  strug 
gled  there.  At  last  Stone  Boy  threw  his  oppo 
nent,  who  lay  motionless.  There  was  a  murmur- 


r 


132  Indian  Boyhood 

ing  sound  throughout  the  heavens  and  the  clouds 
rolled  swiftly  away. 

"  c  Now/  thought  the  hero, ( this  man  must  have 
slain  all  my  uncles.  I  shall  go  to  his  home  and  find 
out  what  has  become  of  them/  With  this  he  un 
fastened  from  the  dead  man's  scalp-lock  a  beauti 
ful  bit  of  scarlet  down.  He  breathed  gently  upon 
it,  and  as  it  floated  upward  he  followed  into  the 
blue  heavens. 

"  Away  went  Stone  Boy  to  the  country  of  the 
Thunder  Birds.  It  was  a  beautiful  land,  with 
lakes,  rivers,  plains  and  mountains.  The  young 
adventurer  found  himself  looking  down  from  the 
top  of  a  high  mountain,  and  the  country  appeared 
to  be  very  populous,  for  he  saw  lodges  all  about 
him  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  He  particu 
larly  noticed  a  majestic  tree  which  towered  above 
all  the  others,  and  in  its  bushy  top  bore  an  enor 
mous  nest.  Stone  Boy  descended  from  the  moun 
tain  and  soon  arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  tree  ;  but 
there  were  no  limbs  except  those  at  the  top  and  it 
was  so  tall  that  he  did  not  attempt  to  climb  it. 
He  simply  took  out  his  bit  of  down,  breathed  upon 
it  and  floated  gently  upward. 

"  When  he  was  able  to  look  into  the  nest  he  saw 
there  innumerable  eggs  of  various  sizes,  and  all  of 
a  remarkable  red  color.  He  was  nothing  but  a 


The  Stone  Boy  133 

boy  after  all,  and  had  all  a  boy's  curiosity  and  reck 
lessness.  As  he  was  handling  the  eggs  carelessly, 
his  notice  was  attracted  to  a  sudden  confusion  in 
the  little  village  below.  All  of  the  people  seemed 
to  be  running  toward  the  tree.  He  mischievously 
threw  an  egg  at  them,  and  in  the  instant  that  it 
broke  he  saw  one  of  the  men  drop  dead.  Then 
all  began  to  cry  out  pitifully,  c  Give  me  my  heart ! ' 

"'Ah,'  exclaimed  Stone  Boy,  exulting, (  so  these 
are  the  hearts  of  the  people  who  destroyed  my 
uncles  !  I  shall  break  them  all !  * 

"  And  he  really  did  break  all  of  the  eggs  but 
four  small  ones  which  he  took  in  his  hand.  Then 
he  descended  the  tree,  and  wandered  among  the 
silent  and  deserted  lodges  in  search  of  some  trace 
of  his  lost  uncles.  He  found  four  little  boys,  the 
sole  survivors  of  their  race,  and  these  he  com 
manded  to  tell  him  where  their  bones  were  laid. 

"  They  showed  him  the  spot  where  a  heap  of 
bones  was  bleaching  on  the  ground.  Then  he 
bade  one  of  the  boys  bring  wood,  a  second  water, 
a  third  stones,  and  the  fourth  he  sent  to  cut  willow 
wands  for  the  sweat  lodge.  They  obeyed,  and 
Stone  Boy  built  the  lodge,  made  a  fire,  heated  the 
stones  and  collected  within  the  lodge  all  the  bones 
of  his  ten  uncles. 

"  As  he  poured  the  water  upon  the  hot  stones 


134  Indian  Boyhood 

faint  sounds  could  be  heard  from  within  the  magic 
bath.  These  changed  to  the  murmuring  of  voices, 
and  finally  to  the  singing  of  medicine  songs. 
Stone  Boy  opened  the  door  and  his  ten  uncles  came 
forth  in  the  flesh,  thanking  him  and  blessing  him 
for  restoring  them  to  life.  Only  the  little  finger 
of  the  youngest  uncle  was  missing.  Stone  Boy 
now  heartlessly  broke  the  four  remaining  eggs,  and 
took  the  little  finger  of  the  largest  boy  to  supply 
the  missing  bone. 

"  They  all  returned  to  earth  again  and  Stone 
Boy  conducted  his  uncles  to  his  mother's  lodge. 
She  had  never  slept  during  his  entire  absence,  but 
watched  incessantly  the  pillow  upon  which  her  boy 
was  wont  to  rest  his  head,  and  by  which  she  was 
to  know  of  his  safety.  Going  a  little  in  advance 
of  the  others,  he  suddenly  rushed  forward  into  her 
teepee,  exclaiming :  c  Mother,  your  ten  brothers 
are  coming — prepare  a  feast ! ' 

"  For  some  time  after  this  they  all  lived  happily 
together.  Stone  Boy  occupied  himself  with  soli 
tary  hunting.  He  was  particularly  fond  of  hunt 
ing  the  fiercer  wild  animals.  He  killed  them  wan 
tonly  and  brought  home  only  the  ears,  teeth  and 
claws  as  his  spoil,  and  with  these  he  played  as  he 
laughingly  recounted  his  exploits.  His  mother  and 
uncles  protested,  and  begged  him  at  least  to  spare 


The  Stone  Boy  135 

the  lives  of  those  animals  held  sacred  by  the  Da- 
kotas,  but  Stone  Boy  relied  upon  his  supernatural 
powers  to  protect  him  from  harm. 

"  One  evening,  however,  he  was  noticeably  silent 
and  upon  being  pressed  to  give  the  reason,  replied 
as  follows  : 

"  c  For  some  days  past  I  have  heard  the  animals 
talking  of  a  conspiracy  against  us.  I  was  going 
west  the  other  morning  when  I  heard  a  crier  an 
nouncing  a  general  war  upon  Stone  Boy  and  his 
people.  The  crier  was  a  Buffalo,  going  at  full 
speed  from  west  to  east.  Again,  I  heard  the  Beaver 
conversing  with  the  Musk-rat,  and  both  said  that 
their  services  were  already  promised  to  overflow 
the  lakes  and  rivers  and  cause  a  destructive  flood. 
I  heard,  also,  the  little  Swallow  holding  a  secret 
council  with  all  the  birds  of  the  air.  He  said  that 
he  had  been  appointed  a  messenger  to  the  Thunder 
Birds,  and  that  at  a  certain  signal  the  doors  of  the 
sky^  would  be  opened  and  rains  descend  to  drown 
Stone  Boy.  Old  Badger  and  the  Grizzly  Bear 
are  appointed  to  burrow  underneath  our  fortifica 
tions. 

" '  However,  I  am  not  at  all  afraid  for  myself, 
but  I  am  anxious  for  you,  Mother,  and  for  my 
uncles/ 

"  '  Ugh  ! '  grunted  all  the  uncles,  *  we  told  you 


136  Indian  Boyhood 

that  you  would  get  into  trouble  by  killing  so 
many  of  our  sacred  animals  for  your  own  amuse 
ment/ 

" '  But/  continued  Stone  Boy,  c  I  shall  make  a 
good  resistance,  and  I  expect  you  all  to  help  me/ 

"  Accordingly  they  all  worked  under  his  direc 
tion  in  preparing  for  the  defence.  First  of  all,  he 
threw  a  pebble  into  the  air,  and  behold  a  great 
rocky  wall  around  their  teepee.  A  second,  third, 
fourth  and  fifth  pebble  became  other  walls  with 
out  the  first.  From  the  sixth  and  seventh  were 
formed  two  stone  lodges,  one  upon  the  other. 
The  uncles,  meantime,  made  numbers  of  bows  and 
quivers  full  of  arrows,  which  were  ranged  at  con 
venient  distances  along  the  tops  of  the  walls.  His 
mother  prepared  great  quantities  of  food  and  made 
many  moccasins  for  her  boy,  who  declared  that 
he  would  defend  the  fortress  alone. 

"  At  last  they  saw  the  army  of  beasts  advancing, 
each  tribe  by  itself  and  commanded  by  a  leader  of 
extraordinary  size.  The  onset  was  terrific.  They 
flung  themselves  against  the  high  walls  with  sav 
age  cries,  while  the  badgers  and  other  burrowing 
animals  ceaselessly  worked  to  undermine  them. 
Stone  Boy  aimed  his  sharp  arrows  with  such 
deadly  effect  that  his  enemies  fell  by  thousands. 
So  great  was  their  loss  that  the  dead  bodies  of  the 


The  Stone  Boy  i  37 

animals  formed  a  barrier  higher  than  the  first,  and 
the  armies  retired  in  confusion. 

"  But  reinforcements  were  at  hand.  The  rain 
fell  in  torrents  ;  the  beavers  had  dammed  all  the 
rivers  and  there  was  a  great  flood.  The  besieged 
all  retreated  into  the  innermost  lodge,  but  the 
water  poured  in  through  the  burrows  made  by  the 
badgers  and  gophers,  and  rose  until  Stone  Boy's 
mother  and  his  ten  uncles  were  all  drowned. 
Stone  Boy  himself  could  not  be  entirely  destroyed, 
but  he  was  overcome  by  his  enemies  and  left 
half  buried  in  the  earth,  condemned  never  to 
walk  again,  and  there  we  find  him  to  this  day. 

a  This  was  because  he  abused  his  strength,  and 
destroyed  for  mere  amusement  the  lives  of  the 
creatures  given  him  for  use  only." 


Evening  in  the  Lodge 


I :    Evening  in  the  Lodge 

HAD  been  skating  on  that  part 
of  the  lake  where  there  was  an 
overflow,  and  came  home  some 
what  cold.  I  cannot  say  just 
how  cold  it  was,  but  it  must  have 
been  intensely  so,  for  the  trees 
were  cracking  all  about  me  like  pistol  shots.  I 
did  not  mind,  because  I  was  wrapped  up  in  my 
buffalo  robe  with  the  hair  inside,  and  a  wide 
leather  belt  held  it  about  my  loins.  My  skates 
were  nothing  more  than  strips  of  basswood  bark 
bound  upon  my  feet. 

I  had  taken  offmy  frozen  moccasins  and  put  on 
dry  ones  in  their  places. 

"  Where  have  you  been  and  what  have  you 
been  doing  ? "  Uncheedah  asked  as  she  placed 
before  me  some  roast  venison  in  a  wooden  bowl. 
"  Did  you  see  any  tracks  of  moose  or  bear  ?  " 

"  No,  grandmother,  I  have  only  been  playing 
at  the  lower  end  of  the  lake.  I  have  something  to 


142  Indian  Boyhood 

ask  you,"  I  said,  eating  my  dinner  and  supper  to 
gether  with  all  the  relish  of  a  hungry  boy  who  has 
been  skating  in  the  cold  for  half  a  day. 

"  I  found  this  feather,  grandmother,  and  I 
could  not  make  out  what  tribe  wear  feathers 
in  that  shape." 

"  Ugh,  I  am  not  a  man ;  you  had  better  ask 
your  uncle.  Besides,  you  should  know  it  yourself 
by  this  time.  You  are  now  old  enough  to  think 
about  eagle  feathers." 

I  felt  mortified  by  this  reminder  of  my  ignor 
ance.  It  seemed  a  reflection  on  me  that  I  was  not 
ambitious  enough  to  have  found  all  such  matters 
out  before. 

"  Uncle,  you  will  tell  me,  won't  you  ? "  I  said, 
in  an  appealing  tone. 

"  I  am  surprised,  my  boy,  that  you  should  fail 
to  recognize  this  feather.  It  is  a  Cree  medicine 
feather,  and  not  a  warrior's." 

"  Then,"  I  said,  with  much  embarrassment, 
"  you  had  better  tell  me  again,  uncle,  the  lan 
guage  of  the  feathers.  I  have  really  forgotten  it  all." 

The  day  was  now  gone  ;  the  moon  had  risen  ; 
but  the  cold  had  not  lessened,  for  the  trunks 
of  the  trees  were  still  snapping  all  around  our  tee 
pee,  which  was  lighted  and  warmed  by  the  im 
mense  logs  which  Uncheedah's  industry  had  pro- 


Evening  in  the  Lodge  143 

vided.  My  uncle,  White  Foot-print,  now  under 
took  to  explain  to  me  the  significance  of  the 
eagle's  feather. 

"  The  eagle  is  the  most  war-like  bird,"  he  be 
gan,  "  and  the  most  kingly  of  all  birds  ;  besides, 
his  feathers  are  unlike  any  others,  and  these  are 
the  reasons  why  they  are  used  by  our  people  to 
signify  deeds  of  bravery/* 

"  It  is  not  true  that  when  a  man  wears  a  feather 
bonnet,  each  one  of  the  feathers  represents  the  kill 
ing  of  a  foe  or  even  a  coup.  When  a  man  wears 
an  eagle  feather  upright  upon  his  head,  he  is  sup 
posed  to  have  counted  one  of  four  coups  upon  his 
enemy/* 

"  Well,  then,  a  coup  does  not  mean  the  killing 
of  an  enemy  ?  " 

"  No,  it  is  the  after-stroke  or  touching  of  the 
body  after  he  falls.  It  is  so  ordered,  because  often 
times  the  touching  of  an  enemy  is  much  more  dif 
ficult  to  accomplish  than  the  shooting  of  one  from 
a  distance.  It  requires  a  strong  heart  to  face  the 
whole  body  of  the  enemy,  in  order  to  count  the 
coup  on  the  fallen  one,  who  lies  under  cover  of  his 
kinsmen's  fire.  Many  a  brave  man  has  been  lost 
in  the  attempt. 

"  When  a  warrior  approaches  his  foe,  dead 
or  alive,  he  calls  upon  the  other  warriors  to 


a 
it-^^C 


144  Indian  Boyhood 

ness  by  saying  :  c  I,  Fearless  Bear,  your  brave, 
again  perform  the  brave  deed  of  counting  the 
first  (or  second  or  third  or  fourth)  coup  upon  the 
body  of  the  bravest  of  your  enemies/  Naturally, 
those  who  are  present  will  see  the  act  and  be  able 
to  testify  to  it.  When  they  return,  the  heralds, 
as  you  know,  announce  publicly  all  such  deeds  of 
valor,  which  then  become  a  part  of  the  man's  war 
record.  Any  brave  who  would  wear  the  eagle's 
feather  must  give  proof  of  his  right  to  do  so. 

"  When  a  brave  is  wounded  in  the  same  battle 
where  he  counted  his  coup,  he  wears  the  feather 
hanging  downward.  When  he  is  wounded,  but 
makes  no  count,  he  trims  his  feather  and  in  that 
case,  it  need  not  be  an  eagle  feather.  All  other 
feathers  are  merely  ornaments.  When  a  warrior 
wears  a  feather  with  a  round  mark,  it  means  that 
he  slew  his  enemy.  When  the  mark  is  cut  into 
the  feather  and  painted  red,  it  means  that  he  took 
the  scalp. 

"  A  brave  who  has  been  successful  in  ten  bat 
tles  is  entitled  to  a  war-bonnet ;  and  if  he  is  a  rec 
ognized  leader,  he  is  permitted  to  wear  one  with 
long,  trailing  plumes.  Also  those  who  have 
counted  many  coups  may  tip  the  ends  of  the  feath 
ers  with  bits  of  white  or  colored  down.  Some- 
'  times  the  eagle  feather  is  tipped  with  a  strip  of 


Evening  in  the  Lodge  145 

weasel  skin  ;  that  means  the  wearer  had  the  honor 
of  killing,  scalping  and  counting  the  first  coup  upon 
the  enemy  all  at  the  same  time. 

"  This  feather  you  have  found  was  worn  by  a 
Cree  —  it  is  indiscriminately  painted.  All  other 
feathers  worn  by  the  common  Indians  mean  noth 
ing,"  he  added. 

"  Tell  me,  uncle,  whether  it  would  be  proper 
for  me  to  wear  any  feathers  at  all  if  I  have  never 
gone  upon  the  war-path." 

"You  could  wear  any  other  kind  of  feathers, 
but  not  an  eagle's,"  replied  my  uncle,  "  although 
sometimes  one  is  worn  on  great  occasions  by  the 
child  of  a  noted  man,  to  indicate  the  father's  dig 
nity  and  position." 

The  fire  had  gone  down  somewhat,  so  I  pushed 
the  embers  together  and  wrapped  my  robe  more 
closely  about  me.  Now  and  then  the  ice  on  the 
lake  would  burst  with  a  loud  report  like  thunder. 
Uncheedah  was  busy  re-stringing  one  of  uncle's 
old  snow-shoes.  There  were  two  different  kinds 
that  he  wore  ;  one  with  a  straight  toe  and  long ; 
the  other  shorter  and  with  an  upturned  toe.  She 
had  one  of  the  shoes  fastened  toe  down,  between 
sticks  driven  into  the  ground,  while  she  put  in 
some  new  strings  and  tightened  the  others.  Aunt 
Four  Stars  was  beading  a  new  pair  of  moccasins. 


146  Indian  Boyhood 

Wabeda,  the  dog,  the  companion  of  my  boy 
hood  days,  was  in  trouble  because  he  insisted  upon 
bringing  his  extra  bone  into  the  teepee,  while 
Uncheedah  was  determined  that  he  should  not. 
I  sympathized  with  him,  because  I  saw  the  matter 
as  he  did.  If  he  should  bury  it  in  the  snow  out 
side,  I  knew  Shunktokecha  (the  coyote)  would 
surely  steal  it.  I  knew  just  how  anxious  Wabeda 
was  about  his  bone.  It  was  a  fat  bone  —  I  mean 
a  bone  of  a  fat  deer ;  and  all  Indians  know  how 
much  better  they  are  than  the  other  kind. 

Wabeda  always  hated  to  see  a  good  thing  go  to 
waste.  His  eyes  spoke  words  to  me,  for  he  and  I 
had  been  friends  for  a  long  time.  When  I  was 
afraid  of  anything  in  the  woods,  he  would  get  in 
front  of  me  at  once  and  gently  wag  his  tail.  He 
always  made  it  a  point  to  look  directly  in  my  face. 
His  kind,  large  eyes  gave  me  a  thousand  assur 
ances.  When  I  was  perplexed,  he  would  hang 
about  me  until  he  understood  the  situation. 
Many  times  I  believed  he  saved  my  life  by  utter 
ing  the  dog  word  in  time. 

Most  animals,  even  the  dangerous  grizzly,  do  not 
care  to  be  seen  when  the  two-legged  kind  and  his 
dog  are  about.  When  I  feared  a  surprise  by  a  bear 
or  a  grey  wolf,  I  would  say  to  Ohitika :  "  Now, 
my  dog,  give  your  war-whoop  :  "  and  immediately 


Evening  in  the  Lodge  147 

he  would  sit  up  on  his  haunches  and  bark  "  to  beat 
the  band  "  as  you  white  boys  say.  When  a  bear 
or  wolf  heard  the  noise,  he  would  be  apt  to 
retreat. 

Sometimes  I  helped  Wabeda  and  gave  a  war- 
whoop  of  my  own.  This  drove  the  deer  away 
as  well,  but  it  relieved  my  mind. 

When  he  appealed  to  me  on  this  occasion,  there 
fore,  I  said :  "  Come,  my  dog,  let  us  bury  your 
bone  so  that  no  Shunktokecha  will  take  it." 

He  appeared  satisfied  with  my  suggestion,  so  we 
went  out  together. 

We  dug  in  the  snow  and  buried  our  bone 
wrapped  up  in  a  piece  of  old  blanket,  partly 
burned ;  then  we  covered  it  up  again  with  snow. 
We  knew  that  the  coyote  would  not  touch  any 
thing  burnt.  I  did  not  put  it  up  a  tree  because 
Wabeda  always  objected  to  that,  and  I  made  it  a 
point  to  consult  his  wishes  whenever  I  could. 

I  came  in  and  Wabeda  followed  me  with  two 
short  rib  bones  in  his  mouth.  Apparently  he  did 
not  care  to  risk  those  delicacies. 

"There,"  exclaimed  Uncheedah,  "you  still  in 
sist  upon  bringing  in  some  sort  of  bone  !"  but  I 
begged  her  to  let  him  gnaw  them  inside  because  it 
was  so  cold.  Having  been  granted  this  privilege, 
he  settled  himself  at  my  back  and  I  became  ab- 


148  Indian  Boyhood 

sorbed  in  some  specially  nice  arrows  that  uncle  was 
making. 

"  O,  uncle,  you  must  put  on  three  feathers  to 
all  of  them  so  that  they  can  fly  straight,"  I  sug 
gested. 

"  Yes,  but  if  there  are  only  two  feathers,  they 
will  fly  faster,"  he  answered. 

"  Woow  !  "  Wabeda  uttered  his  suspicions. 

"  Woow  !  "  he  said  again,  and  rushed  for  the 
entrance  of  the  teepee.  He  kicked  me  over  as  he 
went  and  scattered  the  burning  embers. 

"  En  na  he  na  !"  Uncheedah  exclaimed,  but  he 
was  already  outside. 

"  Wow,  wow,  wow  !  Wow,  wow,  wow  !" 

A  deep  guttural  voice  answered  him. 

Out  I  rushed  with  my  bow  and  arrows  in  my 
hand. 

"  Come,  uncle,  come  !  A  big  cinnamon  bear  !  "  I 
shouted  as  I  emerged  from  the  teepee. 

Uncle  sprang  out  and  in  a  moment  he  had  sent 
a  swift  arrow  through  the  bear's  heart.  The  ani 
mal  fell  dead.  He  had  just  begun  to  dig  up 
Wabeda's  bone,  when  the  dog's  quick  ear  had 
heard  the  sound. 

"  Ah,  uncle,  Wabeda  and  I  ought  to  have  at 
least  a  little  eaglet's  feather  for  this.  I  too  sent  my 
small  arrow  into  the  bear  before  he  fell,"  I  ex- 


Evening  in  the  Lodge. 


Evening  in  the  Lodge  149 

claimed.  "  But  I  thought  all  bears  ought  to  be  in 
their  lodges  in  the  winter  time.  What  was  this  one 
doing  at  this  time  of  the  year  and  night  ?  " 

"  Well/'  said  my  uncle, "  I  will  tell  you.  Among 
the  tribes,  some  are  naturally  lazy.  The  cinnamon 
bear  is  the  lazy  one  of  his  tribe.  He  alone  sleeps 
out  of  doors  in  the  winter  and  because  he  has  not 
a  warm  bed,  he  is  soon  hungry.  Sometimes  he 
lives  in  the  hollow  trunk  of  a  tree,  where  he  has 
made  a  bed  of  dry  grass  ;  but  when  the  night  is 
very  cold,  like  to-night,  he  has  to  move  about  to 
keep  himself  from  freezing  and  as  he  prowls 
around,  he  gets  hungry/* 

We  dragged  the  huge  carcass  within  our  lodge. 
"  O,  what  nice  claws  he  has,  Uncle  !"  I  exclaimed 
eagerly.  "  Can  I  have  them  for  my  necklace  ?" 

"  It  is  only  the  old  medicine  men  who  wear 
them  regularly.  The  son  of  a  great  warrior  who 
has  killed  a  grizzly  may  wear  them  upon  a  pub 
lic  occasion,"  he  explained. 

cc  And  you  are  just  like  my  father  and  are  con 
sidered  the  best  hunter  among  the  Santees  and  Sis- 
setons.  You  have  killed  many  grizzlies  so  that 
no  one  can  object  to  my  bear's-claws  necklace,"  I 
said  appealingly. 

White  Foot-print  smiled.  "  My  boy,  you 
shall  have  them,"  he  said,  "  but  it  is  always  bet- 


150  Indian  Boyhood 

ter  to  earn  them  yourself."  He  cut  the  claws  off 
carefully  for  my  use. 

"  Tell  me,  uncle,  whether  you  could  wear  these 
claws  all  the  time  ?"  I  asked. 

"  Yes,  I  am  entitled  to  wear  them,  but  they  are 
so  heavy  and  uncomfortable,"  he  replied,  with  a 
superior  air. 

At  last  the  bear  had  been  skinned  and  dressed 
and  we  all  resumed  our  usual  places.  Uncheedah 
was  particularly  pleased  to  have  some  more  fat 
for  her  cooking. 

"  Now,  grandmother,  tell  me  the  story  of  the 
bear's  fat.  I  shall  be  so  happy  if  you  will,"  I 
begged. 

"  It  is  a  good  story  and  it  is  true.  You  should 
know  it  by  heart  and  gain  a  lesson  from  it,"  she 
replied.  "  It  was  in  the  forests  of  Minnesota,  in 
v/  *the  country  that  now  belongs  to  the  Ojibways. 
From  the  Bedawakanton  Sioux  village  a  young 
married  couple  went  into  the  woods  to  get  fresh 
venison.  The  snow  was  deep  ;  the  ice  was  thick. 
Far  away  in  the  woods  they  pitched  their  lonely 
teepee.  The  young  man  was  a  well-known  hunter 
and  his  wife  a  good  maiden  of  the  village. 

"  He  hunted  entirely  on  snow-shoes,  because 
the  snow  was  very  deep.  His  wife  had  to  wear 
snow-shoes  too,  to  get  to  the  spot  where  they 


Evening  in  the  Lodge  151 

pitched  their  tent.  It  was  thawing  the  day  they 
went  out,  so  their  path  was  distinct  after  the  freeze 
came  again. 

"  The  young  man  killed  many  deer  and  bears. 
His  wife  was  very  busy  curing  the  meat  and  try 
ing  out  the  fat  while  he  was  away  hunting  each 
day.  In  the  evenings  she  kept  on  trying  the  fat. 
He  sat  on  one  side  of  the  teepee  and  she  on  the 
other. 

"  One  evening,  she  had  just  lowered  a  kettle  of 
fat  to  cool,  and  as  she  looked  into  the  hot  fat  she 
saw  the  face  of  an  Ojibway  scout  looking  down  at 
them  through  the  smoke-hole.  She  said  nothing, 
nor  did  she  betray  herself  in  any  way. 

f:  After  a  little  she  said  to  her  husband  in  a  nat 
ural  voice  :  '  Marpeetopah,  some  one  is  looking 
at  us  through  the  smoke  hole,  and  I  think  it  is  an 
enemy's  scout/ 

"  Then  Marpeetopah  (Four-skies)  took  up  his 
bow  and  arrows  and  began  to  straighten  and  dry 
them  for  the  next  day's  hunt,  talking  and  laugh 
ing  meanwhile.  Suddenly  he  turned  and  sent  an 
arrow  upward,  killing  the  Ojibway,  who  fell  dead 
at  their  door. 

"  c  Quick,  Wadutah  ! '  he  exclaimed  ;  (  you 
must  hurry  home  upon  our  trail.  I  will  stay 
here.  When  this  scout  does  not  return,  the  war- 


152  Indian  Boyhood 

party  may  come  in  a  body  or  send  another  scout. 
If  only  one  comes,  I  can  soon  dispatch  him  and 
then  I  will  follow  you.  If  I  do  not  do  that,  they 
will  overtake  us  in  our  flight/ 

"  Wadutah  (Scarlet)  protested  and  begged  to  be 
allowed  to  stay  with  her  husband,  but  at  last  she 
came  away  to  get  re-inforcements. 

"  Then  Marpeetopah  (Four-skies)  put  more 
sticks  on  the  fire  so  that  the  teepee  might  be  bright 
ly  lit  and  show  him  the  way.  He  then  took  the 
scalp  of  the  enemy  and  proceeded  on  his  track, 
until  he  came  to  the  upturned  root  of  a  great  tree. 
There  he  spread  out  his  arrows  and  laid  out  his 
tomahawk. 

"  Soon  two  more  scouts  were  sent  by  the  Ojib- 
way  war-party  to  see  what  was  the  trouble  and 
why  the  first  one  failed  to  come  back.  He  heard 
them  as  they  approached.  They  were  on  snow- 
shoes.  When  they  came  close  to  him,  he  shot  an 
arrow  into  the  foremost.  As  for  the  other,  in  his 
effort  to  turn  quickly  his  snow-shoes  stuck  in  the 
deep  snow  and  detained  him,  so  Marpeetopah 
killed  them  both. 

"  Quickly  he  took  the  scalps  and  followed  Wa 
dutah.  He  ran  hard.  But  the  Ojibways  sus 
pected  something  wrong  and  came  to  the  lonely 
teepee,  to  find  all  their  scouts  had  been  killed. 


Adventures  of  My  Uncle  1 5  3 

They  followed  the  path  of  Marpeetopah  and  Wa- 
dutah  to  the  main  village,  and  there  a  great  battle 
was  fought  on  the  ice.  Many  were  killed  on  both 
sides.  It  was  after  this  that  the  Sioux  moved  to 
the  Mississippi  river/' 

I  was  sleepy  by  this  time  and  I  rolled  myself 
up  in  my  buffalo  robe  and  fell  asleep. 

II:    Adventures  of  My  Uncle 

T  was  a  beautiful    fall  day — e  a 
gopher's  last  look  back/  as  we 
used    to  say   of  the  last  warm 
days  of  the  late  autumn.     We     * 
were  encamped  beside  a  wild  riceys 
lake,  where  two  months  before 
we  had  harvested  our  watery  fields  of  grain,  and 
where  we  had  now  returned  for  the  duck-hunting^- — . 
All  was  well  with  us.     Ducks  were  killed  in  count 
less  numbers,  and  in  the  evenings  the  men  hunted 
N^  deer  in  canoes  by  torchlight  along  the  shores  of  the 
lake.     But  alas  !    life  is  made  up  of  good  times 
and  bad  times,  and  it  is  when  we  are  perfecfiy"\ 
happy  that  we  should  expect  some  overwhelming  // 
misfortune.  J 

"  So  it  was  that  upon  this  peaceful  and  still  morn 
ing,  all  of  a  sudden  a  harsh  and  terrible  war-cry 
was  heard  !  Your  father  was  then  quite  a  young 


154  Indian  Boyhood 

man,  and  a  very  ambitious  warrior,  so  that  I  was 
always  frightened  on  his  account  whenever  there 
was  a  chance  of  fighting.  But  I  did  not  think  of 
A  ^^  your  uncle,  Mysterious  Medicine,  for  he  was  not 
over  fifteen  at  the  timeT^esides,  he  had  never 
shown  any  taste  for  the  field. 

"Our  camp  was  thrown  into  great  excitement; 
and  as  the  warriors  advanced  to  meet  the  enemy, 
I  was  almost  overcome  by  the  sight  of  your  uncle 
among  them  !  It  was  of  no  use  for  me  to  call 
him  back  —  I  think  I  prayed  in  that  moment  to 

e  Great  Mystery  to  bring  my  boy  safely  home. 

"  I  shall  never  forget,  as  long  as  I  live,  the  events 
of  that  day.  Many  brave  men  were  killed ; 
among  them  two  of  your  uncle's  intimate  friends. 
But  when  the  battle  was  over,  my  boy  came  back  ; 
only  his  face  was  blackened  in  mourning  for  his 
friends,  and  he  bore  several  wounds  in  his  body. 
I  knew  that  he  had  proved  himself  a  true  warrior. 

"  This  was  the  beginning  of  your  uncle's  career. 
He  has  surpassed  your  father  and  your  grand 
father  ;  yes,  all  his  ancestors  except  Jingling  Thun 
der,  in  daring  and  skill." 

Such  was  my  grandmother's  account  of  the 
maiden  battle  of  her  third  son,  Mysterious  Med 
icine.  He  achieved  many  other  names  ;  among 
them  Big  Hunter,  Long  Rifle  and  White  Foot- 


Adventures  of  My  Uncle  155 

print.  He  had  a  favorite  Kentucky  rifle  which 
he  carried  for  many  years.  The  stock  was  several 
times  broken,  but  he  always  made  another.  With 
this  gun  he  excelled  most  of  his  contemporaries  in 
accuracy  of  aim.  He  used  to  call  the  weapon 
Ishtahbopopa — a  literal  translation  would  be 
"  Pops-the-eye." 

My  uncle,  who  was  a  father  to  me  for  ten 
years  of  my  life,  was  almost  a  giant  in  his  propor 
tions,  very  symmetrical  and  "  straight  as  an  arrow." 
His  face  was  not  at  all  handsome.  He  had  very 
quiet  and  reserved  manners  and  was  a  man  of 
action  rather  than  of  unnecessary  words.  Behind^ 
the  veil  of  Indian  reticence  he  had  an  inexhausti 
ble  fund  of  wit  and  humor ;  but  this  part  of  his 
character  only  appeared  before  his  family  and  very 
intimate  friends.  Few  men  know  nature  more 
thoroughly  than  he.  Nothing  irritated  him 
than  to  hear  some  natural  fact  misrepresented.  I 
have  often  thought  that  with  education  he  might 
have  made  a  Darwin  or  an  Agassiz. 

He  was  always  modest  and  unconscious  of  self 
in  relating  his  adventures.     "  I  have  often  been 
forced  to  realize  my  danger,"  he  used  to  say,  "  but 
not  in  such  a  way  as  to  overwhelm  me.     Only^ 
twice  in  my  life  have  I  been  really  frightened,  and  /) 
for  an  instant  lost  my  presence  of  mind. 


156  Indian  Boyhood 

W"  Once  I  was  in  full  pursuit  of  a  large  buck  deer 
that  I  had  wounded.  Tt  was  winter,  and  there 
was  a  very  heavy  fall  of  fresh  snow  upon  the 
ground.  All  at  once  I  came  upon  the  body  of 
the  deer  lying  dead  on  the  snow.  I  began  to 
make  a  hasty  examination,  but  before  I  had  made 
any  discoveries,  I  spied  the  tips  of  two  ears  peep 
ing  just  above  the  surface  of  the  snow  about 
twenty  feet  from  me.  I  made  a  feint  of  not  see- 
\//ing  anything  at  all,  but  moved  quickly  in  the 
1  direction  of  my  gun,  which  was  leaning  against  a 
tree.  Feeling,  somehow,  that  I  was  about  to  be 
taken  advantage  of,  I  snatched  at  the  same  mo 
ment  my  knife  from  my  belt. 

"  The  ^anther  (for  such  it  was)  made  a  sudden 
and  desperate  spring.  I  tried  to  dodge,  but  he 
was  too  quick  for  me.  He  caught  me  by  the 
shoulder  with  his  great  paw,  and  threw  me  down. 
Somehow,  he  did  not  retain  his  hold,  but  made  an 
other  leap  and  again  concealed  himself  in  the  snow. 
Evidently  he  was  preparing  to  make  a  fresh  attack. 

"  I  was  partially  stunned  and  greatly  confused 
by  the  blow  ;  therefore  I  should  have  been  an  easy 
prey  for  him  at  the  moment.  But  when  he  left 
me,  I  came  to  my  senses  ;  and  I  had  been  thrown 
near  my  gun !  I  arose  and  aimed  between  the  tips 
of  his  ears  —  all  that  was  visible  of  him  —  and 


Adventures  of  My  Uncle  157 

fired.   I  saw  the  fresh  snow  fly  from  the  spot.  The 
panther  leaped  about  six  feet  straight  up  into  the 
air,  and  fell  motionless.      I  gave  two  good  war^v  ^/ 
whoops,  because  I  had  conquered  a  very  formid-y 
able  enemy.   I  sat  down  on  the  dead  body  to  rest, 
and  my  heart  beat  as  if  it  would  knock  out  all  my 
ribs.     I  had  not  been  expecting  any  danger,  ancTX/ 
that  was  why  I  was  so  taken  by  surprise. 

"  The  other  time  was  on  the  plains,  in  summer. 
I  was  accustomed  to  hunting  in  the  woods,  and 
never  before  had  hunted  buffalo  on  horseback.  Be 
ing  a  young  man,  of  course  I  was  eager  to  do  wh 
ever  other  men  did.  Therefore  I  saddled  my  pony 
for  the  hunt.  I  had  a  swift  pony  and  a  good  gun, 
but  on  this  occasion  I  preferred  a  bow  and  arrows. 

cc  It  was  the  time  of  year  when  the  buffalo  go 
in  large  herds  and  the  bulls  are  vicious.  But  this 
did  not  trouble  me  at  all ;  indeed,  I  thought  of 
nothing  but  the  excitement  and  honor  of  the 
chase. 

"A  vast  plain  near  the  Souris  river  was  literally 
covered  with  an  immense  herd.  The  day  was  fair, 
and  we  came  up  with  them  very  easily.  I  had  a 
quiver  full  of  arrows,  with  a  sinew-backed  bow. 

"My  pony  carried  me  in  far  ahead  of  all  the  oth 
ers.  I  found  myself  in  the  midst  of  the  bulls  first, 
for  they  are  slow.  They  threw  toward  me  vicious 


1 5  8  Indian  Boyhood 

glances,  so  I  hastened  my  pony  on  to  the  cows. 

f   Soon  I  was  enveloped  in  a  thick  cloud  of  dust,  and 

/     completely  surrounded  by  the  herd,  who  were  by 

this  time  in  the  act  of  fleeing,  their  hoofs  making 

v^noise  like  thunder. 

"  I  could  not  think  of  anything  but  my  own  sit- 
V^uation,  which  confused  me  for  the  moment.     It 
seemed  to  me  to  be  a  desperate  one.   If  my  pony, 
which  was  going  at  full  speed,  should  step  into  a 
badger  hole,  I  should  be  thrown  to  the  ground 
and  trampled  under  foot  in  an  instant.     If  I  were 
to  stop,  they  would  knock  me  over,  pony  and  all. 
Again,  it  seemed  as  if  my  horse  must  fall  from 
sheer  exhaustion ;  and  then  what  would  become 
Jjf  me  ? 

"At  last  I  awoke  to  a  calm  realization  of  my  own 
\    power.     I  uttered  a  yell  and  began  to  shoot  right 
"  and  left.   Very  soon  there  were  only  a  few  old  bulls 
who  remained  near  me.     The  herd  had  scattered, 
and  I  was  miles  away  from  my  companions. 
/    "It  is  when  we  think  of  our  personal  danger  that 
/  we  are  apt  to  be  at  a  loss  to  do  the  best  thing  un 
der  the  circumstances.  One  should  be  unconscious 
of  self  in  order  to  do  his  duty.     We  are  very  apt 
to  think  ourselves  brave,  when  we  are  most  timid. 
I  have  discovered  that  half  our  young  men  give 
the  war-whoop  when  they  are  frightened,  because 


Adventures  of  My  Uncle  159 

they  fear  lest  their  silence  may  betray  their  state  of 
mind.     I  think  we  are  really  bravest  when  mosrTl 
calm  and  slow  to  action." 

I  urged  my  uncle  to  tell  me  more  of  his  adven 
tures. 

"  Once,"  said  he,  "  I  had  a  somewhat  peculiar 
experience,  which  I  think  I  never  related  to  you 
before.  It  was  at  the  time  of  the  fall  hunt.  One 
afternoon  when  I  was  alone  I  discovered  that  I  was 
too  far  away  to  reach  the  camp  before  dark,  so  I 
looked  about  for  a  good  place  to  spend  the  night. 
This  was  on  the  Upper  Missouri,  before  there 
any  white  people  there,  and  when  we  were  in  con 
stant  danger  from  wild  beasts  as  well  as  from  hos 
tile  Indians.  It  was  necessary  to  use  every  pre 
caution  and  the  utmost  vigilance. 

"  I  selected  a  spot  which  appeared  to  be  well 
adapted  to  defense.  I  had  killed  two  deer,  and 
I  hung  up  pieces  of  the  meat  at  certain  distances 
in  various  directions.  I  knew  that  any  wolf  would 
stop  for  the  meat.  A  grizzly  bear  would  some 
times  stop,  but  not  a  mountain  lion  or  a  panther. 
Therefore  I  made  a  fire.  Such  an  animal  would  " 
be  apt  to  attack  a  solitary  fire.  There  was  a  full 
moon  that  night,  which  was  much  in  my  favor. 

"  Having  cooked  and  eaten  some  of  the  venison, 
I  rolled  myself  in  my  blanket  and  lay  down  by  the 


160  Indian  Boyhood 

fire,  taking  my  Ishtahbopopa  for  a  bed  fellow.  I 
hugged  it  very  closely,  for  I  felt  that  I  should 
need  it  during  the  night.  I  had  scarcely  settled 
myself  when  I  heard  what  seemed  to  be  ten  or 
twelve  coyotes  set  up  such  a  howling  that  I  was 
quite  sure  of  a  visit  from  them.  Immediately  after 
ward  I  heard  another  sound,  which  was  like  the 
screaming  of  a  small  child.  This  was  a  porcupine, 
which  had  doubtless  smelled  the  meat. 

u  I  watched  until  a  coyote  appeared  upon  a  flat 
rock  fifty  yards  away.  He  sniffed  the  air  in  every 
direction ;  then,  sitting  partly  upon  his  haunches, 
swung  round  in  a  circle  with  his  hind  legs  sawing 
the  air,  and  howled  and  barked  in  many  different 
keys.  It  was  a  great  feat !  I  could  not  help  won 
dering  whether  I  should  be  able  to  imitate  him. 
What  had  seemed  to  be  the  voices  of  many  coy 
otes  was  in  reality  only  one  animal.  His  mate  soon 
appeared  and  then  they  both  seemed  satisfied,  and 
showed  no  signs  of  a  wish  to  invite  another  to 
join  them.  Presently  they  both  suddenly  and 
quietly  disappeared. 

"At  this  moment  a  slight  noise  attracted  my  at 
tention,  and  I  saw  that  the  porcupine  had  arrived. 
He  had  climbed  up  to  the  piece  of  meat  nearest 
me,  and  was  helping  himself  without  any  cere 
mony.  I  thought  it  was  fortunate  that  he  came, 


Adventures  of  My  Uncle  161 

for  he  would  make  a  good  watch  dog  for  me. 
Very  soon,  in  fact,  he  interrupted  his  meal,  and 
caused  all  his  quills  to  stand  out  in  defiance.  I 
glanced  about  me  and  saw  the  two  coyotes  slyly 
approaching  my  open  camp  from  two  different  di 
rections. 

"  I  took  the  part  of  the  porcupine  !  I  rose  in  a 
sitting  posture,  and  sent  a  swift  arrow  to  each  of 
my  unwelcome  visitors.  They  both  ran  away  with 
howls  of  surprise  and  pain. 

"  The  porcupine  saw  the  whole  from  his  perch, 
but  his  meal  was  not  at  all  disturbed,  for  he  began 
eating  again  with  apparent  relish.  Indeed,  I  was 
soon  furnished  with  another  of  these  unconscious 
protectors.  This  one  came  from  the  opposite  di 
rection  to  a  point  where  I  had  hung  a  splendid 
ham  of  venison.  He  cared  to  go  no  further,  but 
seated  himself  at  once  on  a  convenient  branch  and 
began  his  supper. 

"  The  canon  above  me  was  full  of  rocks  and  trees. 
From  this  direction  came  a  startling  noise,  which 
caused  me  more  concern  than  anything  I  had  thus 
far  heard.     It  sounded  much  like  a  huge  animal 
stretching  himself,  and  giving  a  great  yawn  which 
ended  in  a  scream.    I  knew  this  for  the  voice  of  a  \    / 
mountain  lion,  and  it  decided  me  to  perch  upon  a    /  (\ 
limb  for  the  rest  of  the  night. 


1 62  Indian  Boyhood 

"I  got  up  and  climbed  into  the  nearest  large  tree, 
taking  my  weapons  with  me ;  but  first  I  rolled  a 
short  log  of  wood  in  my  blanket  and  laid  it  in  my 
place  by  the  fire. 

"As  I  got  up,  the  two  porcupines  began  to  de 
scend,  but  I  paid  no  attention  to  them,  and  they 
soon  returned  to  their  former  positions.  Very 
soon  I  heard  a  hissing  sound  from  one  of  them, 
and  knew  that  an  intruder  was  near.  Two  grey 
wolves  appeared. 

"  I  had  hung  the  hams  by  the  ham  strings,  and 
they  were  fully  eight  feet  from  the  ground.  At 
first  the  wolves  came  boldly  forward,  but  the  warn 
ing  of  the  porcupines  caused  them  to  stop,  and 
hesitate  to  jump  for  the  meat.  However,  they  were 
hungry,  and  began  to  leap  savagely  for  the  hams, 
although  evidently  they  proved  good  targets  for 
the  quills  of  the  prickly  ones,  for  occasionally 
one  of  them  would  squeal  and  rub  his  nose  des 
perately  against  the  tree. 

"At  last  one  of  the  wolves  buried  his  teeth  too 
deeply  in  a  tough  portion  of  the  flesh,  and  having 
jumped  to  reach  it,  his  own  weight  made  it  im 
possible  for  him  to  loosen  his  upper  jaw.  There 
the  grey  wolf  dangled,  kicking  and  yelping,  until 
the  tendon  of  the  ham  gave  way,  and  both  fell 
heavily  to  the  ground.  From  my  hiding-place  I 


Adventures  of  My  Uncle  163 

sent  two  arrows  into  his  body,  which  ended  his 
life.  The  other  one  ran  away  to  a  little  distance 
and  remained  there  a  long  time,  as  if  waiting 
for  her  mate. 

"I  was  now  very  weary,  but  I  had  seen  many 
grizzly  bears*  tracks  in  the  vicinity,  and  besides,  I 
had  not  forgotten  the  dreadful  scream  of  the 
mountain  lion.  I  determined  to  continue  my 
watch. 

"As  I  had  half  expected,  there  came  presently  a^x. 
sudden  heavy  fall,  and  at  the  same  time  the  burn-   ' 
ing  embers  were  scattered  about  and  the  fire  almost 
extinguished.     My  blanket  with  the  log  in  it  was 
rolled  over  several  times,  amid  snarls  and  growls. 
Then  the  assailant  of  my  camp — a  panther — leaped 
back  into   the  thick  underbrush,  but  not  before 
my    arrow  had  penetrated  his  side.   He    snarled 
and  tried  to  bite  off  the  shaft,  but  after  a  time  be 
came  exhausted  and  lay  still. 

"  I  could  now  distinguish  the  grey  dawn  in 
east.      I  was  exceedingly  drowsy,  so  I  fastened 
myself  by   a  rope  of  raw-hide  to  the  trunk  of  the 
tree    against  which  I  leaned.      I  was  seated  on  a 
large  limb,  and  soon  fell  alseep. 

"  I  was  rudely  awakened  by  the  report  of  a  gun 
directly  under  me.  At  the  same  time,  I  thought 
some  one  was  trying  to  shake  me  off  the  tree. 


164  Indian  Boyhood 

Instantly  I  reached  for  my  gun.  Alas !  it  was 
gone  !  At  the  first  shake  of  the  tree  by  my  visi 
tor,  a  grizzly  bear,  the  gun  had  fallen,  and  as  it 
was  cocked,  it  went  off. 

"  The  bear  picked  up  the  weapon  and  threw  it 
violently  away;  then  he  again  shook  the  tree  with 
all  his  strength^  I  shouted: 

"c  I  have  still  a  bow  and  a  quiver  full  of  arrows; 
you  had  better  let  me  alone.' 

"  He  replied  to  this  with  a  rough  growl.  I  sent 
an  arrow  into  his  side,  and  he  groaned  like  a  man 
as  he  tried  hard  to  pull  it  out.  I  had  to  give  him 
several  more  before  he  went  a  short  distance  away, 
and  died.  It  was  now  daylight,  so  I  came  down 
from  my  perch.  I  was  stiff,  and  scarcely  able  to 
walk.  I  found  that  the  bear  had  killed  both  of 
my  little  friends,  the  porcupines,  and  eaten  most 
of  the  meat. 

"  Perhaps  you  wonder,  Ohiyesa,  why  I  did  not 
use  my  gun  in  the  beginning;  but  I  had  learned 
that  if  I  once  missed  my  aim  with  it,  I  had  no 
second  chance.  I  have  told  of  this  particular  ad- 
'Venture,  because  it  was  an  unusual  experience  to 
see  so  many  different  animals  in  one  night.  I 
have  often  been  in  similar  places,  and  killed  one  or 
two.  Once  a  common  black  bear  stole  a  whole 
deer  from  me  without  waking  me.  But  all  this 


Adventures  of  My  Uncle  165 

life  is  fast  disappearing,  and  the  world  is  becomingN( 
different/'  / 


The  End  of  the  Bear  Dance 


UN1VERSI 

OF 


The  End  of  the  Bear  Dance 

T  was  one  of  the  superstitions  of 
the  Santee  Sioux  to  treat  disease 
from  the  standpoint  of  some  ani 
mal  or  inanimate  thing.     That 
person  who,  according  to  their 
belief,  had  been  commissiongd-tQ- 
mpHirine  man  or  a  war  ohisf^  must  not 
x/disobey^tbe  bear  or  other  creature  or  thing  which 
^gave  him  his  commission.      If  he  ever  ventured\ 
to  do  so,  the  offender  must  pay  for  his  insubor-  \ 
dination  with  his  life,  or  that  of  his  own  child  orj 
dearest  friend.     It  was  supposed  to  be  necessary^ 
that  the  supernatural  orders  be  carried  into  effect  \ 
at  a  particular  age  and    a  certain  season  of  they 
year.      Occasionally  a  very  young  man,  who  ex 
cused  himself  on  the  ground  of  youth  and  mod 
esty,  might  be  forgiven. 

One  of  my  intimate  friends  had  been  a  sufferer 
from  what,  I  suppose,  must  have  been  consump 
tion.  He,  like  myself,  had  a  grandmother  in 


I  jo  Indian  Boyhood 

whom  he  had  unlimited  faith.  But  she  was  a  very 
ambitious  and  pretentious  woman.  Among  her 
many  claims  was  that  of  being  a  great  "  medicine 
woman,"  and  many  were  deceived  by  it ;  but  really 
she  was  a  fraud,  for  she  did  not  give  any  medicine, 
but  "  conjurecP'  the  sick  exclusively. 

At  this  time   my  little  friend  was  fast  losing 
ground,  in  spite  of  his  grandmother's  great  preten 
sions.     At  last  J[  hinted  to  him   that  my  grand- 
\     mother  was  a  herbalist,  and  a  skilful  one.      But  he 
hinted  back  to  me  that  'most  any  old  woman  who 
could  dig  roots  could  be  a  herbalist,  and  that  with- 
.A   out  a  supernatural  commission  there  was  no  power 
Vthat  could  cope  with  disease.     I  defended  my  ideal 
//on  the  ground  that  there  are  supernatural  powers 
in  the  herbs  themselves  ;  hence  those  who  under 
stand  them  have  these  powers  at  their  command. 
"  But,"  insisted  my  friend,  "  one  must  get  his 
y\:  knowledge  from  the  Great  Mystery  ! " 

This    completely   silenced    my   argument,   but 
>ilid    not    shake  my    faith    in   my   grandmother's 
ability. 

Redhorn  was  a  good  boy,  and  I  loved  him.  I 
visited  him  often,  and  found  him  growing  weaker 
day  by  day. 

"  Ohiyesa,"  he  said  to  me  one  day,  "  my  grand 
mother  has  discovered  the  cause  of  my  sickness." 


The  End  of  the  Bear  Dance         i  7  i 

I  eagerly  interrupted  him  by  shouting  :  "And 
can  she  cure  you  now,  Redhorn  ?  " 

"  Of  course,"  he  replied,  "  she  cannot  until 
have  fulfilled  the  commandment.  I  have  confessed 
to  her  that  two  years  ago  I  received  my  commis 
sion,  and  I  should  have  made  a  Bear  Dance 
and  proclaimed  myself  a  medicine  man  last  spring, 
when  I  had  seen  thirteen  winters.  You  see,  I  was 
ashamed  to  proclaim  myself  a  medicine  man,  being 
so  young  ;  and  for  this  I  am  punished.  However, 
my  grandmother  says  it  is  not  yet  too  late.  But, 
Ohiyesa,  I  am  as  weak  now  as  a  rheumatic  old  man. 
I  can  scarcely  stand  up.  They  say  that  I  can  ap 
point  some  one  else  to  act  for  me.  He  will  be  the 
active  bear —  I  shall  have  to  remain  in  the  hole. 
Would  you,  Ohiyesa,  be  willing  to  act  the  bear  for 
me  ?  You  know  he  has  to  chase  the  dancers 
away  from  his  den." 

"  Redhorn,"  I  replied  with  much  embarrass 
ment,  "  I  should  be  happy  to  do  anything  that  I 
could  for  you,  but  I  cannot  be  a  bear.  I  feel  that 
I  am  not  fit.  I  am  not  large  enough  ;  I  am  not 
strong  enough  ;  and  I  don't  understand  the  habits 
of  the  animal  well  enough.  I  do  not  think  you 
would  be  pleased  with  me  as  your  substitute." 

Redhorn  finally  decided  that  he  would  engage  a 
larger  boy  to  perform  for  him.  A  few  days  later, 


172  Indian  Boyhood 

it  was  announced  by  the  herald  that  my  friend 
would  give  a  Bear  Dance,  at  which  he  was  to  be 
publicly  proclaimed  a  medicine  man.  It  would  be 
the  great  event  of  his  short  existence,  for  the  dis 
ease  had  already  exhausted  his  strength  and  vital 
ity.  Of  course,  we  all  understood  that  there  would 
be  an  active  youth  to  exhibit  the  ferocious  nature 
of  the  beast  after  which  the  dance  is  named. 

The  Bear  Dance  was  an  entertainment,  a  relig- 

\l\  ious  rite,  a  method  of  treating  disease — all  in  one. 

r&  strange  thing  about  it  was  that  no  woman  was 

j   /    allowed  to  participate  in  the  orgies,  unless  she  was 

/\)M  herself  the  bear. 

The  den  was  usually  dug  about  two  hundred 
yards  from  the  camp,  on  some  conspicuous  plain. 
It  was  about  two  feet  deep  and  six  feet  square  and 
\(  over  it  was  constructed  an  arbor  of  boughs  with 
four  openings.  When  the  bear  man  sang,  all  the 
men  and  boys  would  gather  and  dance  about  the 
den ;  and  when  he  came  out  and  pursued  them 
there  was  a  hasty  retreat.  It  was  supposed  that 
/"whoever  touched  the  bear  without  being  touched 
him  would  overcome  a  foe  in  the  field.  If  one 
touched,  the  reverse  was  to  be  expected.  The 
/  thing  which  caused  most  anxiety  among  the  dancers 
was  the  superstition  that  if  one  of  them  should 
accidentally  trip  and  fall  while  pursued  by  the 


The  End  of  the  Bear  Dance         173 

bear,  a  sudden  death  would  visit  him  or  his  nearest 
relative. 

Boys  of  my  age  were  disposed  to  run  some  risk 
in  this  dance  ;  they  would  take  every  opportunity 
to  strike  at  the  bear  man  with  a  short  switch,  while 
the  older  men  shot  him  with  powder.  It  may  as 
well  be  admitted  that  one  reason  for  my  declining 
the  honor  offered  me  by  my  friend  Redhorn  was 
that  I  was  afraid  of  powder,  and  I  much  preferred 
to  be  one  of  the  dancers  and  take  my  chances  of 
touching  the  bear  man  without  being  touched. 

It  was  a  beautiful  summer's  day.  The  forest 
behind  our  camp  was  sweet  with  the  breath  of 
blossoming  flowers.  The  teepees  faced  a  large  lake, 
which  we  called  Bedatanka.  Its  gentle  waves 
cooled  the  atmosphere.  The  water-fowl  disported 
themselves  over  its  surface,  and  the  birds  of  pass 
age  overhead  noisily  expressed  their  surprise  at 
the  excitement  and  confusion  in  our  midst. 

The  herald,  with  his  brassy  voice,  again  went 
the  rounds,  announcing  the  day's  event  and  the 
tardy  fulfillment  of  the  boy's  commission.  Then 
came  the  bustle  of  preparation.  The  out-door 
toilet  of  the  people  was  performed  with  care.  I 
cannot  describe  just  how  I  was  attired  or  painted, 
but  I  am  under  the  impression  that  there  was  but 
little  of  my  brown  skin  that  was  not  uncovered. 


Indian  Boyhood 

The  others  were  similarly  dressed  in  feathers,  paint 
\/  and  tinkling  ornaments. 

I  soon  heard  the  tom-tom's  doleful  sound  from 
the  direction  of  the  bear's  den,  and  a  few  war- 
whoops  from  the  throats  of  the  youthful  warriors. 
As  I  joined  the  motley  assembly,  I  noticed  that  the 
bear  man's  drum  was  going  in  earnest,  and  soon 
after  he  began  to  sing.  This  was  the  invitation  to 
the  dance. 

An  old  warrior  gave  the  signal  and  we  all  started 
for  the  den,  very  much  like  a  group  of  dogs  at 
tacking  a  stranger.  Frantically  we  yelled  and 
whooped,  running  around  the  sheltering  arbor  in 
a  hop,  skip  and  jump  fashion.  In  spite  of  the 
apparent  confusion,  however,  every  participant 
was  on  the  alert  for  the  slightest  movement  of  the 
bear  man. 

All  of  a  sudden,  a  brave  gave  the  warning,  and 
we  scattered  in  an  instant  over  the  little  plain  be 
tween  the  den  and  our  village.  Everybody  seemed 
to  be  running  for  dear  life,  and  I  soon  found  my 
self  some  yards  behind  the  rest.  I  had  gone  in 
/  boldly,  partly  because  of  conversations  with  cer- 
\Cj  tain  boys  who  proposed  to  participate,  and  whom 
I  I  usually  outdistanced  in  foot  races.  But  it  seemed 
that  they  had  not  carried  out  their  intentions  and 
I  was  left  alone.  I  looked  back  once  or  twice,  al- 


"The  End  of  the  Bear  Dance         175 

though  I  was  pretty  busy  with  my  legs,  and  I  im 
agined    that  my  pursuer,  the  bear    man,  looked 
twice  as  fearful  as  a  real  bear.      He  was  dressec^  .  / 
and  painted  up  with  a  view  to  terrify  the  crowd. 
I  did  not  want  the  others  to  guess  that  I  was  at  s\ 
all  dismayed,  so  I  tried  to  give  the  war-whoop;      \/ 
but  my  throat  was  so  dry  at  the  moment  that  I   j  / 
am  sure  I  must  have  given  it  very  poorly. 

Just  as  it  seemed  that  I  was  about  to  be  overX 
taken,  the  dancers  who  had  deserted  me  suddenly! 
slackened    their    speed,    and    entered    upon    the 
amusement  of  tormenting  the  bear  man  with  gun-  \ 
powder  and  switches,  with  which  they  touched  him  } 
far  from  gently  upon  his  naked  body.     They  now 
chased  him  in  turn,  and  he  again  retreated  to  his  den. 

We  rested  until  we  heard  the  tom-tom  and  the 
song  once  more,  and  then  we  rushed  forth  with 
fresh  eagerness  to  the  mimic  attack.  This  time  I 
observed  all  necessary  precautions  for  my  own 
safety.  I  started  in  my  flight  even  before  the 
warning  was  given,  for  I  saw  the  bear  man  gather 
ing  himself  up  to  spring  upon  the  dancers.  Thus 
I  had  plenty  of  leeway  to  observe  what  occurred. 
The  bear  man  again  pursued  the  yelling  and  re 
treating  mob,  and  was  dealt  with  unmercifully  by  / 
the  swift-footed.  He  became  much  excited  as\/ 
he  desperately  chased  a  middle-aged  man,  who  '  \ 


176  Indian  Boyhood 

occasionally  turned  and  fired  off  his  gun,  but  was 
suddenly  tripped  by  an  ant-hill  and  fell  to  the 
ground,  with  the  o{her  on  top  of  him.  The  ex 
citement  was  intense.  The  bear  man  returned  to 
his  companion,  and  the  dancers  gathered  in  little 
knots  to  exchange  whispers. 

"  Is  it  not  a  misfortune  ?  "  "  The  most  sure 
footed  of  us  all ! "  «  Will  he  die  ?  "  "JVlusthis 
X  beautiful  daughter  be  sacrificed  ?  " 
The  man  who  was  the  subject  of  all  this  com 
ment  did  not  speak  a  word.  His  head  hung 
down.  Finally  he  raised  it  and  said  in  a  resolute 
voice : 

"  We  all  have  our  time  to  go,  and  when  the 
Great  Mystery  calls  us  we  must  answer  as  cheer 
fully  as  at  the  call  of  one  of  our  own  war-chiefs 
here  on  earth.  I  am  not  sad  for  myself,  but  my 
heart  is  not  willing  that  my  Winona  (first-born 
daughter)  should  be  called." 

No  one  replied.  Presently  the  last  tom-tom 
was  heard  and  the  dancers  rallied  once  more. 
The  man  who  had  fallen  did  not  join  them,  but 
turned  to  the  council  lodge,  where  the  wise  old 
men  were  leisurely  enjoying  the  calumet.  They 
beheld  him  enter  with  some  surprise ;  but  he 
threw  himself  upon  a  buffalo  robe,  and  resting  his 
head  upon  his  right  hand,  related  what  had  hap- 


The  End  of  the  Bear  Dance         177 

pened  to  him.  Thereupon  the  aged  men  ex 
claimed  as  with  one  voice  :  "  It  never  fails  !  " 
After  this,  he  spoke  no  more. 

Meanwhile,  we  were  hilariously  engaged  in 
our  last  dance,  and  when  the  bear  man  finally  re 
tired,  we  gathered  about  the  arbor  to  congratulate 
the  sick  bear  man.  But,  to  our  surprise,  his  com 
panion  did  not  re-enter  the  den.  "  He  is  dead  ! 
Redhorn,  the  bear  man,  is  dead  !  "  We  all  rushed 
to  the  spot.  My  poor  friend,  Redhorn,  lay  dead 
in  the  den. 

At  this  instant  there  was  another  commotion  in 
the  camp.     Everybody  was  running  toward  the 
council  lodge.     A  well-known  medicine  man  was~~) 
loudly  summoned  thither.     But,  alas  !  the   marTS 
who  fell  in  the  dance  had  suddenly  dropped  dead.    1 

To  the  people,  another  Indian  superstition  had 
been  verified. 


The  Maidens    Feast 

\ 


•• 


The  Maidens"  Feast 

|HERE  were  many  peculiar  cus 
toms  among    the  Indians  of  an 
some  of    which 


tended  to  strengthen  the  charac 
ter  of  the  people  and  preserve 
their  purity.  Perhaps  the  most 
unique  of  these  was  the  annual  "  feast  of  maidens." 
The  casual  observer  would  scarcely  understand 
the  full  force  and  meaning  of  this  ceremony. 

The  last  one  that  I  ever  witnessed  was  given  at 
Fort  Ellis,  Manitoba,  about  the  yearj^ju  Upon 
the  table  land  just  back  of  the  old  trading  post 
and  fully  a  thousand  feet  above  the  Assiniboine 
river,  surrounded  by  groves,  there  was  a  natural 
amphitheatre.  At  one  end  stood  the  old  fort 
where  since  1830  the  northern  tribes  had  come  to 
replenish  their  powder  horns  and  lead  sacks  and 
to  dispose  of  their  pelts. 

In  this  spot  there  was  a  reunion  of  all  the  rene- 
gade  Sioux  on  the  one  hand  and  of  the  Assini- 


1 82  Indian  Boyhood 

/ooines    and    Crees,   the  Canadian   tribes,  on  the 
/     other.    They  were  friendly.     The  matter  was  not 
\     formally    arranged,  but  it  was  usual    for  all  the 
Vtribes  to  meet  here  in  the  month  of  July. 

The  Hudson  Bay  Company  always  had  a  good 
supply  of  red,  blue,  green  and  white  blankets,  also 
cloth  of  brilliant  dye,  so  that  when  their  summer 
festival  occurred  the  Indians  did  not  lack  gayly 
colored  garments.  Paints  were  bought  by  them 
at  pleasure.  Short  sleeves  were  the  fashion  in 
their  buckskin  dresses,  and  beads  and  porcupine 
quills  were  the  principal  decorations. 

When  circumstances  are  favorable,  the  Indians 
are  the  happiest  people  in  the  world.   There  were 
ntertainments  every  single  day,  which  everybody 
had  the  fullest  opportunity  to  see  and  enjoy.      If 
anything,  the  poorest  profited  the  most  by  these 
occasions,  because  a  feature  in  each  case  was  the 
giving   away   of  savage  wealth  to  the  needy    in 
or  of  the  event.     At  any  public  affair,  involv 
ing  the  pride  and  honor  of  a  prominent  family, 
there   must  always  be  a  distribution   of  valuable 
resents. 

One  bright  summer  morning,  while  we  were 
still  at  our  meal  of  jerked  buffalo  meat,  we  heard 
the  herald  of  the  Wahpeton  band  upon  his  calico 
pony  as  he  rode  around  our  circle. 


The  Maidens'  Feast  183 

"  White  Eagle's  daughter,  the  maiden  Red  Star7 ' 
invites  all  the  maidens  of  all  the  tribes  to  come  and 
partake  of  her  feast.  It  will  be  in  the  Wahpeton 
camp,  before  the  sun  reaches  the  middle  of  the 
sky.  All  pure  maidens  are  invited.  Red  Star 
also  invites  the  young  men  to  be  present,  to  see 
that  no  unworthy  maiden  should  join  in  the  feast." 

The  herald  soon  completed  the  rounds  of  trie 
different  camps,  and  it  was  not  long  before  the 
girls  began  to  gather  in  great  numbers.  The  fort 
was  fully  alive  to  the  interest  of  these  savage  en 
tertainments.  This  particular  feast  was  looked 
upon  as  a  semi-sacred  affair.  It  would  be  dese 
cration  for  any  to  attend  who  was  not  perfectly 
virtuous.  Jjence  it  was  regarded  as  an  opportune\ 
time  for  the  young  men  to  satisfy  themselves  as  to  I 

W]K)  were  jhe_virtuous  maids  of  the  tribeT"          X 

• — - — • — _ • — — /» 

There  were  apt  to  be  surprises  before  the  end 
of  the  day.  Any  young  man  was  permitted  to 
challenge  any  maiden  whom  he  knew  to  be  un 
worthy.  But  woe  to  him  who  could  not  prove  his 
case.  It  meant  little  short  of  death  to  the  man  who  1 

endeavored  to  disgrace  a  woman  without  cause.. / 

/jThe  youths  had  a  similar  feast  of  their  own,  in 

(which   the    eligibles    were  those   who   had   never 

Tslspoken  to  a  girl  in  the  way  of  courtship.     It  was 

considered    ridiculous  so  to    do  before    attaining 


184  Indian  Boyhood 


honor  as  a  warrior,  and  the  novices  prided 
Lthemselves  greatly  upon  their  self  control. 

From  the  various  camps  the  girls  came  singly 
in  groups,  dressed  in  bright-colored  calicoes  or 
in  heavily  fringed  and  beaded  buck-skin.  Their 
smooth  cheeks  and  the  central  part  of  their  glossy 
hair  was  touched  with  vermilion.  All  brought 
with  them  wooden  basins  to  eat  from.  Some  who 
came  from  a  considerable  distance  were  mounted 
upon  ponies  ;  a  few,  for  company  or  novelty's  sake, 

rode  double. 

',^g^~*. 

/^  The  maidens'  circle  was  formed  about  a  cone- 
/l  shaped  rock  which  stood  upon  its  base.  This  was 
/  /  painted  red.  Beside  it  two  new  arrows  were  lightly 
stuck  into  the  ground.  This  is  a  sort  of  altar,  to 
which  each  maiden  comes  before  taking  her  as 
signed  place  in  the  circle,  and  lightly  touches  first 
the  stone  and  then  the  arrows.  By  this  oath  she 
declares  her  purity.  Whenever  a  girl  approaches 
the  altar  there  is  a  stir  among  the  spectators,  and 
sometimes  a  rude  youth  would  call  out : 

"  Take  care  !  You  will  overturn  the  rock,  or 
pull  out  the  arrows  !  " 

Such  a  remark  makes  the  girls  nervous,  and  es 
pecially  one  who  is  not  sure  of  her  composure. 

Immediately  behind  the  maidens'  circle  is  the 
old  women's  or  chaperons'  circle.  This  second 


The  Maidens    Feast  185 

circle  is  almost  as  interesting  to  look  at  as  the  in- / 
ner  one.     The  old  women  watched  every  move 
ment  of  their  respective  charges  with  the  utmost 
concern,  having  previously  instructed  them  how 
they  should  conduct  themselves  in  any  event. 

There  was  never  a  more  gorgeous  assembly  of 
the  kind  than  this  one.  The  day  was  perfect.  The 
Crees,  displaying  their  characteristic  horseman 
ship,  came  in  groups  ;  the  Assiniboines,  with  their 
curious  pompadour  well  covered  with  red  paint. 
The  various  bands  of  Sioux  all  carefully  observed 
the  traditional  peculiarities  of  dress  and  behavior. 
The  attaches  of  the  fort  were  fully  represented  at 
the  entertainment,  and  it  was  not  unusual  to  see  ay  s^/ 
pale-face  maiden  take  part  in  the  feast.  J  / 

The  whole  population  of  the  region  had  assem 
bled,  and  the  maidens  came  jihyly  into  the  circle.  >< 
The  simple  ceremonies  observed  prior  to  the  serv 
ing  of  the  food  were  in  progress,  when  among  a 
group  of  Wahpeton  Sioux  young  men  there  WaslF 
stir  of  excitement.  All  the  maidens  glanced  ner 
vously  toward  the  scene  of  the  disturbance.  Soon 
a  tall  youth  emerged  from  the  throng  of  spectators 
and  advanced  toward  the  circle.  Every  one  of  the 
chaperons  glared  at  him  as  if  to  deter  him  from 
his  purpose.  But  with  a  steady  step  he  passed 
them  by  and  approached  the  maidens'  circle. 


1 86  Indian  Boyhood 

.      /         At  last  he  stopped  behind  a  pretty  Assiniboine 
r^  I     ymaiden  of  good  family  and  said  : 

>^^      "  I  am    sorry,  but,   according  to  custom,  you 
should  not  be  here/' 

The  girl  arose  in  confusion,  but  she  soon  recov 
ered  her  self-control. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  demanded,  indig 
nantly.  "  Three  times  you  have  come  to  court 
me,  but  each  time  I  have  refused  to  listen  to  you. 
I  turned  my  back  upon  you.  Twice  I  was  with 
Mashtinna.  She  can  tell  the  people  that  this  is 
true.  The  third  time  I  had  gone  for  water  when 
you  intercepted  me  and  begged  me  to  stop  and 
listen.  I  refused  because  I  did  not  know  you. 
My  chaperon,  Makatopawee,  knows  that  I  was 
gone  but  a  few  minutes.  I  never  saw  you  any 
where  else." 

The  young  man  was  unable  to  answer  this  un 
mistakable  statement  of  facts,  and  it  became  ap 
parent  that  he  had  sought  to  revenge  himself  for 
her  repulse. 

"  Woo  !  woo  !  Carry  him  out !"  was  the  order 
of  the  chief  of  the  Indian  police,  and  the  audacious 
youth  was  hurried  away  into  the  nearest  ravine  to 
be  chastised. 

The  young  woman  who  had  thus  established 
UJier  good  name  returned  to  the  circle,  and  the  feast 


'The  Maidens    Feast  187 

was  served.  The  "  maidens'  song  "  was  sung,  and 
four  times  they  danced  in  a  ring  around  the  altar. 
Each  maid  as  she  departed  once  more  took  her 
oath  to  remain  pure  until  she  should  meet  her 
husband. 


More  Legends 


\BRAR 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


I :     A  Legend  of  Devil's  Lake 

FTER  the  death  of  Smoky  Da] 
old  Weyuha  was  regarded  as  th< 
greatest   story  -  teller   among  tl 
Wahpeton  Sioux. 

"  Tell  me,  good  Weyuha,  a  le 
gend  of  your  father's  country,"  I 
said  to  him  one  evening,  for  I  knew  the  country 
which  is  now  known  as  North  Dakota  and  South 
ern  Manitoba  was  their  ancient  hunting-ground. 
I  was  prompted  by  Uncheedah  to  make  this  reO  -v/ 
quest,  after  the  old  man  had  eaten  in  our  lodge.  _J  ' 

"  Many  years  ago,"  he  began,  as  he  passed  the 
pipe  to  uncle,  "  we  traveled  from  the  Otter-tail  to 
•  Minnewakan(Devir§__Lake).  At  that  time  the 

*-,    — 

mound  was  very  distinct  where  Chotanka  lies 
buried.  The  people  of  his  immediate  band  had 
taken  care  to  preserve  it. 

"  This  mound  under  which  lies  fehe  great  medj- 
cin_ernan  is__upon___the  summit  of  M^innewakan 
Chantay,  the__  highest  hill  in  all  that  regiojpL tHs 


192  Indian  Boyhood 

s^\ 
y  /    /   shaped  like  an  animal's  heart  placed  on  its  base, 

/VyV.    W^tn     ^     aPCX     UpWal"d. 

"  The  reason  why  this  hill  is  called   Minnewa- 
kan  Chantay,  or   the  Heart  of  the   Mysterious 
£  LancOl  will  now  tell  you.      It  has  been  handed 
[_   ^  ^ttown  from  generation  to  generation,  far  beyond 
£     the  memory  of  our  great-grandparents.     It  was 
\  in  Chotanka's  line  of  descent  that  these  legends 

y  were  originally  kept,  but  when  he  died  the  stories 

became  everybody's,  and  then  no  one  believed  in 
them.  It  was  told  in  this  way." 
,  I  sat  facing  him,  wholly  wrapped  in  the  words 
>f  the  story-teller,  and  now  I  took  a  deep  breath 
and  settled  myself  so  that  I  might  not  disturb  him 
by  the  slightest  movement  while  he  was  reciting 
iis  tale.  We  were  taught  this  courtesy  to  our 
lers,  but  I  was  impulsive  and  sometimes  forgot. 
"  A  long  time  ago,"  resumed  Weyuha,  "  the 
red  people  were  many  in  number,  and  they  inhabi- 
ted  all  the  land  from  the  coldest  place  to  the  re- 
of  perpetual  summer  time.  It  seemed  that 
they  were  all  of  one  tongue,  and  all  were  friends. 
"  All  the  animals  were  considered  people  in  those 
\J\  dajs.x/The  buffalo,  the  elk,  the  antelope,  were 
ytribes  of  considerable  importance.  The  bears  were 
a  smaller  band,  but  they  obeyed  the  mandates  of 
the  Great  Mystery  and  were  his  favorites,  and  for 


;gon 
Uthey 
" 


A  Legend  of  Devil's  Lake          193 

this  reason  they  have^lways  known  more  about  \l 
the  secrets_  of  medicine.     So   they  were  held  in  ' 
much  honor.     The  wolves,  too,  were  highly  re 
garded  at  one  time.     But  the  buffalo,  elk,  moose, 
deer  and  antelope  were  the  ruling  people. 

"  These  soon  became  conceited  and  considered 
themselves  very  important,  and  thought  no  one 
could  withstand  them.     The  buffalo  made  war  up 
on  the  smaller  tribes,  and  destroyed  many.  So  oncTj  ^j 
day^the^Great  Mystery  thought  it  best  to  change  /  A 
the  people  in  form  and  in  language. 

"  He  made  a  great  tent  and  kept  it  dark  for  teri\    . 
days.  Into  this  tent  he  invited  the  different  bands,     j(. 
and  when  they  came  out  they  were  greatly  changed, 
and  some  could  not  talk  at  all  after  that.     How 
ever,  there  is  a  sign  language  given  to  all  the  ani-  \ 
mals  that  no  man  knows  except  some  medicine 
men,  and  they  are  under  a  heavy  penalty  if  they 
should  tell  'It~ 

"The  buffalo  came  out  of  the  darkened  tent 
the  clumsiest  of  all  the  animals.  The  elk  and  '  Sc 
moose  were  burdened  with  their  heavy  and  many- 
branched  horns,  while  the  antelope  and  deer  were 
made  the  most  defenseless  of  animals,  only  that 
they  are  fleet  of  foot.  The  bear  and  the  wolf 
were  made  to  prey  upon  all  the  others. 

"  Man  was    alone    then.     When    the    change 


V 


1 94  Indian  Boyhood 

i  came,  the  Great  Mystery  allowed  him  to  keep  his 
\  own  shape  and  language.     He  was  king  over  all 
Lthe  animals,  but  they  did  not  obey  him.      From 
that  day,  man's  spirit  may  live  with  the  beasts  be 
fore  he  is  born  a  man.     He  will  then  know  the 
animal  language  but  he  cannot  tell  it  in  human 
speech.     He  always    retains    his   sympathy  with 
them,  and  can  converse  with  them  in  dreams. 

"  I  must  not  forget  to  tell  you  that  the  Great 

Mystery  pitched  his  tent   in    this    very    region. 

Some  legends  say  that  the  Minnewakan  Chantay 

was  the  tent  itself,  which  afterward  became  earth 

and  stones.     Many  of  the  animals  were  washed 

and    changed  in  this  lake,  the  Minnewakan,  or 

Mysterious  Water.     It  is  the  only  inland  water 

.'  we  know  that  is  salt.     No  animal  has  ever  swam 

"nFTtriis  lake  and  lived." 

"Tell  me/'  I  eagerly  asked,  "is  it  dangerous 
to  man  also  ?  " 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  "we  think  so;  and  no  In 
dian  has  ever  ventured  in  that  lake  to  my  know 
ledge.  That  is  why  the  lake  is  called  Mysterious," 
he  repeated. 

"I  shall  now  tell  you  of  Chotanka.     He  was 

the  greatest  of  medicine  men.     He  declared  that 

/  Hie  was  a  grizzly  bear  before  he  was  born  in  human 

[Jbrm."     Weyuha  seemed  to  become  very  earnest 


A  Legend  of  Devil's  Lake          195 

when  he  reached  this  point  in  his  story.  "  Listen 
to  Chotanka's  life  as  a  grizzly  bear.'* 

u  '  As  a  bear/  he  used  to  say,  {  my  home  was 
in  sight  of  the  Minnewakan  Chantay.  I  lived 
with  my  mother  only  one  winter,  and  I  only  saw 
my  father  when  I  was  a  baby.  Then  we  lived  a 
little  way  from  the  Chantay  to  the  north,  among 
scattered  oak  upon  a  hillside  overlooking  the 
Minnewakan. 

" £  When  I  first  remember  anything,  I  was 
playing  outside  of  our  home  with  a  buffalo  skull 
that  I  had  found  near  by.  I  saw  something  that 
looked  strange.  It  walked  upon  two  legs,  and  it 
carried  a  crooked  stick,  and  some  red  willows  with 
feathers  tied  to  them.  It  threw  one  of  the  wil 
lows  at  me,  and  I  showed  my  teeth  and  retreated 
within  our  den. 

" c  Just  then  my  father  and  mother  came  home 
with  a  buffalo  calf.  They  threw  down  the  dead 
calf,  and  ran  after  the  queer  thing.  He  had  long 
hair  upon  a  round  head.  His  face  was  round,  too. 
He  ran  and  climbed  up  into  a  small  oak  tree. 

"  c  My  father  and  mother  shook  him  down,  but 
not  before  he  had  shot  some  of  his  red  willows 
into  their  sides.  Mother  was  very  sick,  but  she 
dug  some  roots  and  ate  them  and  she  was  well 
again.'  It  was  thus  that  Chotanka  was  first  taught 


196  Indian  Boyhood 

the  use  of  certain  roots  for  curing  wounds  and 
sickness/'  Weyuha  added. 

"  c  One  day'  — he  resumed  the  grizzly's  story 
— "  c  when  I  was  out  hunting  with  my  mother — 
my  father  had  gone  away  and  never  came  back 
— we  found  a  buffalo  cow  with  her  calf  in  a 
ravine.  She  advised  me  to  follow  her  closely, 
and  we  crawled  along  on  our  knees.  All  at  once 
mother  crouched  down  under  the  grass,  and  I  did 
the  same.  We  saw  some  of  those  queer  beings 
that  we  called  "  two  legs,"  riding  upon  big-tail 
deer  (ponies).  They  yelled  as  they  rode  toward  us. 
Mother  growled  terribly  and  rushed  upon  them. 
She  caught  one,  but  many  more  came  with  their 
dogs  and  drove  us  into  a  thicket.  They  sent  the 
red  willows  singing  after  us,  and  two  of  them  stuck 
in  mother's  side.  When  we  got  away  at  last  she 
tried  to  pull  them  out,  but  they  hurt  her  terribly. 
She  pulled  them  both  out  at  last,  but  soon  after 
she  lay  down  and  died. 

" c  I  stayed  in  the  woods  alone  for  two  days ; 
then  I  went  around  the  Minnewakan  Chantay  on 
the  south  side  and  there  made  my  lonely  den. 
There  I  found  plenty  of  hazel  nuts,  acorns  and 
wild  plums.  Upon  the  plains  the  teepsinna  were 
abundant,  and  I  saw  nothing  of  my  enemies. 

" c  One  day  I  found  a  footprint  not  unlike  my 


A  Legend  of  Devil's  Lake          1 97 

own.  I  followed  it  to  see  who  the  stranger  might 
be.  Upon  the  bluffs  among  the  oak  groves  I  dis 
covered  a  beautiful  young  female  gathering  acorns. 
She  was  of  a  different  band  from  mine,  for  she 
wore  a  jet  black  dress. 

"  'At  first  she  was  disposed  to  resent  my  intru 
sion  ;  but  when  I  told  her  of  my  lonely  life  she 
agreed  to  share  it  with  me.  We  came  back  to  my 
home  on  the  south  side  of  the  hill.  There  we 
lived  happy  fora  whole  year.  When  the  autumn 
came  again  Woshepee,  for  this  was  her  name,  said 
that  she  must  make  a  warm  nest  for  the  winter, 
and  I  was  left  alone  again/ 

"  Now,"  said  Weyuha,  "  I  have  come  to  a  part 
of  my  story  that  few  people  understand.  All  the 
long  winter  Chotanka  slept  in  his  den,  and  with 
the  early  spring  there  came  a  great  thunder  storm. 
He  was  aroused  by  a  frightful  crash  that  seemed 
to  shake  the  hills ;  and  lo  !  a  handsome  young 
man  stood  at  his  door.  He  looked,  but  was  not 
afraid,  for  he  saw  that  the  stranger  carried  none  of 
those  red  willows  with  feathered  tips.  He  was 
unarmed  and  smiling. 

"  c  I  come,'  said  he,  c  with  a  challenge  to  run  a 
race.  Whoever  wins  will  be  the  hero  of  his  kind, 
and  the  defeated  must  do  as  the  winner  says  there 
after.  This  is  a  rare  honor  that  I  have  brought 


198  Indian  Boyhood 

you.  The  whole  world  will  see  the  race.  The 
animal  world  will  shout  for  you,  and  the  spirits 
will  cheer  me  on.  You  are  not  a  coward/lind 
therefore  you  will  not  refuse  my  challenge/ 

" c  No/  replied  Chotanka,  after  a  short  hesita 
tion.  The  young  man  was  fine-looking,  but 
lightly  built. 

"  *  We  shall  start  from  the  Chantay,  and  that  will 
be  our  goal.  Come,  let  us  go,  for  the  universe  is 
waiting  ! '  impatiently  exclaimed  the  stranger. 

"  He  passed  on  in  advance,  and  just  then  an 
old,  old  wrinkled  man  came  to  Chotanka's  door. 
He  leaned  forward  upon  his  staff. 

" c  My  son/  he  said  to  him,  £  I  don't  want  to 
make  you  a  coward,  but  this  young  man  is  the 
greatest  gambler  of  the  universe.  He  has  pow 
erful  medicine.  He  gambles  for  life  ;  be  careful ! 
My  brothers  and  I  are  the  only  ones  who  have 
ever  beaten  him.  But  he  is  safe,  for  if  he  is 
killed  he  can  resurrect  himself — I  tell  you  he  is 
great  medicine. 

" c  However,  I  think  that  I  can  save  you — lis 
ten  !  He  will  run  behind  you  all  the  way  until 
you  are  within  a  short  distance  of  the  goal.  Then 
he  will  pass  you  by  in  a  flash,  for  his  name  is  Zig- 
Zag  Fire  !  (lightning).  Here  is  my  medicine/  So 
speaking,  he  gave  me  a  rabbit  skin  an4  the  gum 


A  Legend  of  Devil's  Lake          199 

of  a  certain  plant.  c  When  you  come  near  the 
goal,  rub  yourself  with  the  gum,  and  throw  the 
rabbit  skin  between  you.  He  cannot  pass  you.' 

"  c  And  who  are  you,  grandfather  ? '  Chotanka 
inquired. 

"£I  am  the  medicine  turtle/  the  old  man  re 
plied.  '  The  gambler  is_  a  spirit  from  heaven,  and  X 
those  whom  he  outruns  must  shortly  die.  You 
have  heard,  no  doubt,  that  all  animals  know  be 
forehand  when  they  are  to  be  killed  ;  and  any  man 
who  understands  these  mysteries  may  also  know 
when  he  is  to  die/ 

"  The  race  was  announced  to  the  world.     The 
buffalo,  elk,  wolves  and  all  the  animals  came  to 
look  on.      All  the  spirits  of  the  air  came  also  to 
cheer  for  their  comrade.     In  the  sky  the  trumpet  7/ 
was  sounded  — the  great  medicine  drum  was  struck.  \ ' 
It  was  the  signal   for  a  start.     The  course  was" 
around  the  Minnewakan.     (That  means  around)^ 
the  earth  or  the  ocean.)      Everywhere  the  multi 
tude  cheered  as  the  two  sped  by. 

"  The  young  man  kept  behind  Chotanka  all  the 
time  until  they  came  once  more  in  sight  of  the 
Chantay.  Then  he  felt  a  slight  shock  and  he  threw 
his  rabbit  skin  back.  The  stranger  tripped  and  fell. 
Chotanka  rubbed  himself  with  the  gum,  and  ran  on 
until  he  reached  the  goal.  There  was  a  great  shout 


200  Indian  Boyhood 

that  echoed  over  the  earth,  but  in  the  heavens 
was  muttering  and  grumbling.  The  referee  de 
clared  that  the  winner  would  live  to  a  good  old  age, 
and  Zig-Zag  Fire  promised  to  come  at  his  call.  He 
was  indeed  great  medicine,"  Weyuha  concluded. 

"  But  you  have  not  told  me  how  Chotanka  be 
came  a  man,"  I  said. 

"  One  night  a  beautiful  woman  came  to  him  in 
his  sleep.  She  enticed  him  into  her  white  teepee 
to  see  what  she  had  there.  Then  she  shut  the 
door  of  the  teepee  and  Chotanka  could  not  get 
out.  But  the  woman  was  kind  and  petted  him  so 
that  he  loved  to  stay  in  the  white  teepee.  Then 
it  was  that  he  became  a  human  born.  This  is  a 

V. 

long  story,  but  I  think,  Ohiyesa,  that  you  will  re 
member  it,"  said  Weyuha,  and  so  I  did. 

II  :    Manitoshaw  s  Hunting 

T  was  in  the  winter,  in  the  Moon 
of  Difficulty  (January).  We  had 
eaten  our  venison  roast  for  sup 
per,  and  the  embers  were  burn 
ing  brightly.  Our  teepee  was  es-^ 
pecially  cheerful.   Uncheedah  sat 
near  the  entrance,  my  uncle  and  his  wife  upon 
the  opposite  side,  while  I  with  my  pets  occupied 
the  remaining  space.  ^^ 


I 


Manitos haw's  Hunting  201 

Wabeda,  the  dog,  lay  near  the  fire  in  a  half  doze, 
watching  out  of  the  corners  of  his  eyes  the  tame  x/ 
raccoon,  which  snuggled  back  against  the  walls  o? 
the  teepee,  his  shrewd  brain,  doubtless,  concocting 
some  mischief  for  the  hours  of  darkness.      I  Kad^ 
already  recited  a  legend  of  our  people.    All  agreed  \)\ 
that  I  had  done  well.     Having  been  generously 
praised,  I  was  eager  to  earn  some  more  compli 
ments  by  learning  a  new^one^saXbggged^my  uncle, 
to  tell  me  a  storyy^KTusingly  he  replied : 

"  I  can  give •you  a  Sioux-Cree  tradition/'  and 
immediately  began : 

"  Many  winters  ago,  there  were  six  teepees  stand 
ing  on  the  southern  slope  of  Moose  mountain  in 
the  Moon  of  Wild  Cherries  (September).  The 
men  to  whom  these  teepees  belonged  had  been  at 
tacked  by  the  Sioux  while  hunting  buffalo,  and 
nearly  all  killed.  Two  or  three  who  managed  to 
get  home  to  tell  their  sad  story  were  mortally 
wounded,  and  died  soon  afterward.  There  was  only 
one  old  man  and  several  small  boys  left  to  hunt 
and  provide  for  this  unfortunate  little  band  of 
women  and  children. 

"  They  lived  upon  tgepsinna  (wild  turnips)  and 
berries  for  many  days.  They  were  almost  famished 
for  meat.  The  old  man  was  too  feeble  to  hunt 
successfully.  One  day  in  this  desolate  camp  a 


2O2  Indian  Boyhood 

young  Cree  maiden — for  such  they  were — declared 
that  she  could  no  longer  sit  still  and  see  her  peo 
ple  suffer.  She  took  down  her  dead  father's  second 
bow  and  quiver  full  of  arrows,  and  begged  her  old 
grandmother  to  accompany  her  to  Lake  Wana- 
giska,  where  she  knew  that  moose  had  oftentimes 
been  found.  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  her  name 
was  Manitoshaw. 

"  This  Manitoshaw  and  her  old  grandmother, 
Nawakewee,  took  each  a  pony  and  went  far  up  into 
the  woods  on  the  side  of  the  mountain.  They 
pitched  their  wigwam  just  out  of  sight  of  the  lake, 
and  hobbled  their  ponies.  Then  the  old  woman 
said  to  Manitoshaw  : 

" f  Go,  my  granddaughter,  to  the  outlet  of  the 
Wanagiska,  and  see  if  there  are  any  moose  tracks 
there.  When  I  was  a  young  woman,  I  came  here 
with  your  father's  father,  and  we  pitched  our  tent 
near  this  spot.  In  the  night  there  came  three  dif 
ferent  moose.  Bring  me  leaves  of  the  birch  and 
cedar  twigs  ;  I  will  make  medicine  for  moose,'  she 
added. 

"  Manitoshaw  obediently  disappeared  in  the 
woods.  It  was  a  grove  of  birch  and  willow,  with 
two  good  springs.  Down  below  was  a  marshy  place. 
Nawakewee  had  bidden  the  maiden  look  for  nib 
bled  birch  and  willow  twigs,  for  the  moose  loves 


Manitosbaw* s  Hunting  203 

to  eat  them,  and  to  have  her  arrow  ready 
upon  the  bow-string.  I  have  seen  this  very 
place  many  a  time,"  added  my  uncle,  and  this 
simple  remark  gave  to  the  story  an  air  of  real- 
ity. 

"  The  Cree  maiden  went  first  to  the  spring,  and 
there  found  fresh  tracks  of  the  animal  she  sought, 
she  gathered  some  cedar  berries  and  chewed  them, 
and  rubbed  some  of  them  on  her  garments  so  that 
the  moose  might  not  scent  her.  The  sun  was  al 
ready  to  set,  and  she  felt  she  must  return  to  Na- 
wakewee. 

"  Just  then  Hinhankaga,  the  hooting  owl,  gave 
his  doleful  night  call.  The  girl  stopped  and  lis 
tened  attentively. 

" c  I  thought  it  was  a  lover's  call,'  she  whispered 
to  herself.  A  singular  challenge  pealed  across  the 
lake.  She  recognized  the  alarm  call  of  the  loon, 
and  fancied  that  the  bird  might  have  caught  a 
glimpse  of  her  game. 

"  Soon  she  was  within  a  few  paces  of  the  tem 
porary  lodge  of  pine  boughs  and  ferns  which  the 
grandmother  had  constructed.  The  old  woman 
met  her  on  the  trail. 

" c  Ah,  my  child,  you  have  returned  none  too 
soon.  I  feared  you  had  ventured  too  far  away ; 
for  the  Sioux  often  come  to  this  place  to  hunt. 


204  Indian  Boyhood 

You  must  not  expose  yourself  carelessly  on  the 
shore.' 

"  As  the  two  women  lay  down  to  sleep  they 
could  hear  the  ponies  munch  the  rich  grass  in  an 
open  spot  near  by.  Through  the  smoke  hole  of 
the  pine-bough  wigwam  Manitoshaw  gazed  up 
into  the  starry  sky,  and  dreamed  of  what  she  would 
do  on  the  morrow  when  she  should  surprise  the 
wily  moose.  Her  grandmother  was  already  sleep 
ing  so  noisily  that  it  was  enough  to  scare  away  the 
game.  At  last  the  maiden,  too,  lost  herself  in 
sleep. 

"  Old  Nawakewee  awoke  early.  First  of  all 
she  made  a  fire  and  burned  cedar  and  birch 
so  that  the  moose  might  not  detect  the  human 
smell.  Then  she  quickly  prepared  a  meal  of  wild 
turnips  and  berries,  and  awoke  the  maiden,  who 
was  surprised  to  see  that  the  sun  was  already  up. 
She  ran  down  to  the  spring  and  hastily  splashed 
handsful  of  the  cold  water  in  her  face ;  then  she 
looked  for  a  moment  in  its  mirror-like  surface. 
There  was  the  reflection  of  two  moose  by  the  open 
shore  and  beyond  them  Manitoshaw  seemed  to 
see  a  young  man  standing.  In  another  moment 
all  three  had  disappeared. 

"'What  is  the  matter  with  my  eyes  ?  I  am 
not  fully  awake  yet,  and  I  imagine  things.  Ugh, 


/r 

ManitoshafUD  s  Hunting  205 

it  is  all  in  my  eyes,Vme  maiden  repeated  to  her 
self.  She  hastened  back  to  Nawakewee.  The 
vision  was  so  unexpected  and  so  startling  that  she 
could  not  believe  in  its  truth,  and  she  said  noth 
ing  to  the  old  woman.  J^ 

"  Breakfast  eaten,  Manitoshaw  th^ew  off  her 
robe  and  appeared  in  her  sjcantily^cut  gown  of 
buckskin  with  long  fringes,  and  moccasins  and 
leggings  trimmed  with  quills  of  the  porcupine. 
Her  father's  bow  and  quiver  were  thrown  over 
one  shoulder,  and  the  knife  dangled  from  her  belt 
in  its  handsome  sheath.  She  ran  breathlessly 
along  the  shore  toward  the  outlet. 

"Way  off  near  the  island  Medoza  the  loon  swam 
with  his  mate,  occasionally  uttering  a  cry  of  joy. 
Here  and  there  the  playful  Hogan,  the  trout, 
sprang  gracefully  out  of  the  water,  in  a  shower  of 
falling  dew.  As  the  maiden  hastened  along  she 
scared  up  Wadawasee,the  kingfisher,who  screamed 
loudly. 

"  c  Stop,  Wadawasee,  stop  —  you  will  frighten 
my  game ! ' 

"  At  last  she  had  reached  the  outlet.  She  saw 
at  once  that  the  moose  had  been  there  during  the 
night.  They  had  torn  up  the  ground  and  broken 
birch  and  willow  twigs  in  a  most  disorderly 
way." 


206  Indian  Boyhood 

"  Ah  !  "  I  exclaimed,  "  I  wish  I  had  been  with 
Manitoshaw  then  !  " 

"  Hush,  my  boy ;  never  interrupt  a  story- 
teller." 

I  took  a  stick  and  began  to  level  off  the  ashes 
in  front  of  me,  and  to  drawamap  of  the  lake,  the 
outlet,  the  moose  and  Manitoshaw.  Away  off  to 
one  side  was  the  solitary  wigwam,  Nawakewee  and 
the  ponies. 

tc  Manitoshaw's  heart  was  beating  so  loud  that 

she  could  not  hear  anything,"  resumed  my  uncle. 

("  She  took  some  leaves  of  the  wintergreen  and 

Y_chewed  them  to  calm  herself.     She  did  not  forget 

to  throw  in  passing  a  pinch  of  pulverized  tobacco 

and  paint  into  the  spring  for  Manitou,  the  spirit. 

"  Among  the  twinkling  leaves  of  the  birch  her 
eye  was  caught  by  a  moving  form,  and  then  an 
other.  She  stood  motionless,  grasping  her  heavy 
bow.  The  moose,  not  suspecting  any  danger, 
walked  leisurely  toward  the  spring.  One  was  a 
large  female  moose ;  the  other  a  yearling. 

"  As  they  passed  Manitoshaw,  moving  so  nat 
urally  and  looking  so  harmless,  she  almost  forgot 
to  let  fly  an  arrow.  The  mother  moose  seemed  to 
look  in  her  direction,  but  did  not  see  her.  They 
had  fairly  passed  her  hiding-place  when  she  stepped 
forth  and  sent  a  swift  arrow  into  the  side  of  the 


Manitoshaw  s  Hunting  207 

larger  moose.  Both  dashed  into  the  thick  woods, 
but  it  was  too  late.  The  Cree  maiden  had  already 
loosened  her  second  arrow.  Both  fell  dead  before 
reaching  the  shore." 

"  Uncle,  she  must  have  had  a  splendid  aim,  for    \ 
in  the  woods  the  many  little  twigs  make  an  arrow 
bound  off  to  one  side,"  I  interrupted  in  great  ex 
citement. 

"  Yes,  but  you  must  remember  she  was  very 
near  the  moose." 

"  It  seems  to  me,  then,  uncle,  that  they  must 
have  scented  her,  for  you  have  told  me  that  they 
possess  the  keenest  nose  of  any  animal,"  I  per 
sisted. 

"  Doubtless  the  wind  was  blowing  the  other 
way.  But,  nephew,  you  must  let  me  finish  my 
story. 

cc  Overjoyed  by  her  success,  the  maiden  has 
tened  back  to  Nawakawee,  but  she  was  gone  ! 
The  ponies  were  gone,  too,  and  the  wigwam  of 
branches  had  been  demolished.  While  Manito- 
shaw  stood  there,  frightened  and  undecided  what 
to  do,  a  soft  voice  came  from  behind  a  neighbor 
ing  thicket : 

"  c  Manitoshaw  !     Manitoshaw  !     I  am  here  ! ' 

"  She  at  once  recognized  the  voice  and  found 
it  to  be  Nawakeewee,  who  told  a  strange  story. 


208  Indian  Boyhood 

That  morning  a  canoe  had  crossed  the  Wanagiska 
carrying  two  men.  They  were  Sioux.  The  old 
grandmother  had  seen  them  coming,  and  to  de 
ceive  them  she  at  once  pulled  down  her  temporary 
wigwam,  and  drove  the  ponies  off  toward  home. 
Then  she  hid  herself  in  the  bushes  near  by, 
for  she  knew  that  Manitoshaw  must  return 
there. 

"  £  Come,  my  granddaughter,  we  must  hasten 
home  by  another  way,"  cried  the  old  woman. 

"  But  the  maiden  said,  c  No,  let  us  go  first  to 
my  two  moose  that  I  killed  this  morning  and  take 
some  meat  with  us/ 

" c  No,  no,  my  child ;  the  Sioux  are  cruel. 
They  have  killed  many  of  our  people.  If  we 
stay  here  they  will  find  us.  I  fear,  I  fear  them, 
Manitoshaw !  ' 

"  At  last  the  brave  maid  convinced  her  grand 
mother,  and  the  more  easily  as  she  too  was  hun 
gry  for  meat.  They  went  to  where  the  big  game 
lay  among  the  bushes,  and  began  to  dress  the 


moose." 


"  I  think,  if  I  were  they,  I  would  hide  all  day. 
I  would'wait  until  the  Sioux  had  gone  ;  then  I 
would  go  back  to  my  moose/'  I  interrupted  for 
the  third  time. 

"  I  will  finish  the  story  first ;  then  you  may  tell 


Manitoshaws  Hunting  209 

us  what  you  would  do,"  said  my  uncle  reprov 
ingly. 

"  The  two  Sioux  were  father  and  son.  They 
too  had  come  to  the  lake  for  moose  ;  but  as  the 
game  usually  retreated  to  the  island,  Chatansapa 
had  landed  his  son  Kangiska  to  hunt  them  on  the 
shore  while  he  returned  in  his  canoe  to  intercept 
their  flight.  The  young  man  sped  along  the 
sandy  beach  and  soon  discovered  their  tracks.  He 
followed  them  up  and  found  blood  on  the  trail. 
This  astonished  him.  Cautiously  he  followed  on 
until  he  found  them  both  lying  dead.  He  exam 
ined  them  and  found  that  in  each  moose  there 
was  a  single  Cree  arrow.  Wishing  to  surprise 
the  hunter  if  possible,  Kangiska  lay  hidden  in  the 
bushes. 

"  After  a  little  while  the  two  women  returned  to 
the  spot.  They  passed  him  as  close  as  the  moose 
had  passed  the  maiden  in  the  morning.  He  saw 
at  once  that  the  maiden  had  arrows  in  her  quiver 
like  those  that  had  slain  the  big  moose.  He  lay 
still. 

"  Kangiska  looked  upon  the  beautiful  Cree 
maiden  and  loved  her.  Finally  he  forgot  himself 
and  made  a  slight  motion.  Manitoshaw's  quick 
eye  caught  the  little  stir  among  the  bushes,  but 
she  immediately  looked  the  other  way  and  Kan- 


21  o  Indian  Boyhood 

giska  believed  that  she  had  not  seen  anything. 
At  last  her  eyes  met  his,  and  something  told  both 
that  all  was  well.  Then  the  maiden  smiled,  and 
the  young  man  could  not  remain  still  any  longer. 
He  arose  suddenly  and  the  old  woman  nearly 
fainted  from  fright.  But  Manitoshaw  said : 

" '  Fear  not,  grandmother  ;  we  are  two  and  he  is 
only  one/ 

"  While  the  two  women  continued  to  cut  up 
the  meat,  Kangiska  made  a  fire  by  rubbing  cedar 
chips  together,  and  they  all  ate  of  the  moose 
meat.  Then  the  old  woman  finished  her  work, 
while  the  young  people  sat  down  upon  a  log  in 
the  shade,  and  told  each  other  all  their  minds.^ 

"  Kangiska  declared  by  signs  that  he  would  go 
ipme_mjdL^Mjrilk  the  Cree  camp,  for  he 

loveoLJier.  They  went  home,  lmoT~tne  young 
man  hunted  for  the  unfortunate  Cree  band  during 
the  rest  of  his  life. 

"  His  father  waited  a  long  time  on  the  island 
and  afterward  searched  the  shore,  but  never  saw 
him  again.  He  supposed  that  those  footprints  he 

"[ saw  were  made  by  Crees  who  had  killed  his  son." 

-""  Is  that  story  true,  uncle  ?  "  I  asked  eagerly. 
X  "  Yes,  the  facts   are  well   known.     There   are 

some  Sioux  mixed  bloods  among  the  Crees  to  this 
day  who  are  descendants  of  Kangiska.'* 


The  Courtship  of  Manilas/law. 


UNIVERSITY 

OF 


Indian  Life  and  Adventure 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


I:    Life  in  the  floods 

|HE  month  of  September  recalls 
to  every  Indian's  mind  the  season 
of  the  fall  hunt.  I  remember  one 
such  expedition  which  is  typical 
of  many.  Our  party  appeared  on 
the  northwestern  side  of  Turtle 
mountain;  for  we  had  been  hunting  buffaloes  all 
summer,  in  the  region  of  the  Mouse  river,  between 
that  mountain  and  the  upper  Missouri. 

As  our  cone-shaped  teepees  rose  in  clusters 
along  the  outskirts  of  the  heavy  forest  that  clothes 
the  sloping  side  of  the  mountain,  the  scene  below 
was  gratifying  to  a  savage  eye.  The  rolling  yellow 
plains  were  checkered  with  herds  of  buffaloes. 
Along  the  banks  of  the  streams  that  ran  down  from 
the  mountains  were  also  many  elk,  which  usually 
appear  at  morning  and  evening,  and  disappear  into 
the  forest  during  the  warmer  part  of  the  day. 
Deer,  too,  were  plenty,  and  the  brooks  were  alive 
with  trout.  Here  and  there  the  streams  were 
dammed  by  the  industrious  beaver. 


214  Indian  Boyhood 

In  the  interior  of  the  forest  there  were  lakes  with 
many  islands,  where  moose,  elk,  deer  and   bears 
were   abundant.     The  water-fowl  were    wont  to 
gather  here  in  great  numbers,  among    them  the 
N^crane,  the  swan,  the  loon,  and  many  of  the  smaller 
inds.     The  forest  also  was  filled  with  a  great  va 
riety  of  birds.     Here  the  partridge  drummed  his 
v/» loudest,  while  the _whippoorwill  sang  with  spirit, 
v  and  the  hooting  owl  reigned  in  the  night. 

To  me,  as  a  boy,  this  wilderness  was  a  paradise.  It 
was  aJand.  of  plenty.  To  be  sure,  we  did  not  have 
any  of  the  luxuries  of  civilization,  but  we  had  every 
convenience  and  opportunity  and  luxury  of 
Nature.  We  had  also  the  gift  of  enjoying 
our  good  fortune,  whatever  dangers  might  lurk 
about  us ;  and  the  truth  is  that  we  lived  in 
blessed  ignorance  of  any  life  that  was  better  than 
our  own. 

[M   As  soon  as   hunting  in  the  woods  began,  the 
/  customs  regulatinglFwere  established.  The  coun- 
^cil  teepee  no  longerjexisted.     A_JiuntingJbonfire 
was  kindled  everymgrrmig  at  day-break^jit^which 
jacrrljirave  must  appear  and  report.  The  man  wKo 
/railed  to  do  this  before  the  party  set  out  on  the 
hunt  was  harassed  by  ridicule.     As  a  rule, 
/the  hunters  started  before  sunrise,  and  the  brave 
was  announced  throughout  the  camp  as  the 


Life  in  the  Woods  2 1 5 

first  one  to  return  with  a  deer  on  his  back,  was 
man  to  be  envied. 

The  jegend-teller,  old  Smoky  Day,  was  chosen 
herald  of  the  camp,  and  it  was  he  who  made  the 
announcements.  After  supper  was  ended,  we  heard 
his  powerful  voice  resound  among  the  teepees  in 
the  forest.  He  would  then  name  a  man  to  kindle 
thebonfire  the  next  morning.  His  suit  of  fringed 
buckskin  set  off  his  splendid  physique  to  advan 
tage. 

Scarcely  had  the  men  disappeared  in  the  woods 
each  morning  than  all  the  boys  sallied  forth,  ap 
parently  engrossed  in  their  games  and  sports,  but 
in  reality  competing  actively  with  one  another  in 
quickness  of  observation.  As  the  day  advanced, 
they  all  kept  the  sharpest  possible  lookout.  Sud 
denly  there  would  come  the  shrill  "  Woo-coo- 
hoo  !  "  at  the  top  of  a  boy's  voice,  announcing  the 
bringing  in  of  a  deer.  Immediately  all  the  other 
boys  took  up  the  cry,  each  one  bent  on  getting 
ahead  of  the  rest.  Now  we  all  saw  the  brave  Wa- 
coota  fairly  bent  over  by  his  burden,  a  large  deer 
which  he  carried  on  his  shoulders.  His  fringed 
buckskin  shirt  was  besprinkled  with  blood.  He) 
threw  down  the  deer  at  the  door  of  his  wife's  / 
mother's  home,  according  to  custom,  and  then) 
walked  proudly  to  his  own.  At  the  door  of  his  \ 


2  1  6  Indian  Boyhood 

^7  /  father's  teepee  he  stood  for  a  moment  straight  as  a 
/H  pine-tree,  and  then  entered. 

X^When  a  bear  was  brought  in,  a  hundred  or 


more  of  these  urchins  were  wont  to  make  the  woods 
resound  with  their  voices  :    "  Wah  !  wah  !  wah  ! 
Wah!  wah!   wah!      The    brave    White    Rabbit 
brings  a  bear  !     Wah  !  wah  !  wah  !  " 
^All  day  these  sing-song  cheers  were  kept  up,  as 
\_the  game  was  brought  in.  At  last,  toward  the  close 

of  the  afternoon,  all  the  hunters  had  returned,  and 

>"~-     —  -  —      •  —  —  —  i  __  _  _       —  • 

/  happiness  and  contentment  reigned  absolute,  in  a 

\  fashion  which  I  have  never  observed  among  the 

/^jjvhite  people,  even  in  the  best  of  circumstances. 

The  men  were  lounging  and  smoking  ;  the  women 

i  actively  engaged  in  the  preparation  of  the  evening 

IjneaJ,  and  the  care  of  the  meat.     The  choicest  of 

Kt  the  game  was  cooked  and  pffered  to  the  Great 
LMystery,  with  all  the  accompanying  ceremonies. 
\This  we  called  the  "  medicine  feast."     Even  the 
women,  as  they  lowered  the  boiling  pot,  or  the 
/    fragrant  roast  of  venison  ready  to  serve,  would  first 
j      whisper  :  "  Great  Mystery,  do  thou  partake  of  this 
venison,  and  still  be  gracious  !  "      This  was  the 
\^  commonly  said  "  grace." 

Everything  went  smoothly  with  us,  on  this  oc 
casion,  when  we  first  entered  the  woods.  Noth 
ing  was  wanting  to  our  old  way  of  living.  The 


Life  in  the  Woods  217 

killing  of  deer  and   elk   and   moose  had   to   be, 
stopped  for  a  time,  since  meat  was  so  abundant' 
that  we  had  no  use  for  them  any  longer.     Only 
the  hunting  for  pelts,  such  as   those  of  the  bear, 
beaver,  marten,  and   otter   was    continue^     But 
whenever    we    lived    in    blessed    abundance,    our 
braves  were  wont  to  turn  their  thoughts  to  other 
occupations  —  especially  the  hot-blooded   youths^ 
whose   ambition    it    was    to  do  something    note 
worthy. 

At  just  such  moments  as  this  there  are  always  a 
number  of  priests  in  readiness,  whose  vocation  it 
is  to  see  into  the  future,  and  each  o£whgm  con 
sul  tsTis"^artkuJaj^n^j^eter  of  the  Great  Mys 
tery.  (This  ceremony  is  called  by  the  white  people 
"""making  medicine/')  To  the  priests  the  youth" 
ful  braves  hint  their  impatience  for  the  war-path. 
Soon  comes  the  desired  dream  or  prophecy  or 
vision  to  favor  their  departure. 

Our  young  men  presently  received  their  sign, 
and  for  a  few  days  all  was  hurry  and  excitement. 
On  the  appointed  morning  we  heard  the  songs  of 
the  warriors  and  the  wailing  of  the  women,  by  which 
they  bade  adieu  to  each  other,  and  the  eligible 
braves,  headed  by  an  experienced  man  — old  Ho- 
tanka  or  Loud-Voiced  Raven  —  set  out  for  the 
Gros  Ventre  country. 


2i  8  Indian  Boyhood 

vDur  older  heads,  to  be  sure,  had  expressed  some 
disapproval  of  the  undertaking,  for  the  country  in 
which  we  were  roaming  was  not  our  own,  and  we 
were  likely  at  any  time  to  be  taken  to  task  by  its 
rightful  owners.  The  plain  truth  of  the  matter 
'was  that  we  were  intruders.  Hence  the  more 
^thoughtful  among  us  preferred  to  be  at  home,  and 
fto  achieve  what  renown  they  could  get  by  defend- 
/ing  their  homes  and  families.  The  young  men, 

;  (     however,  were  so  eager  for  action  and  excitement 
yvj_jfaat  they  must  needs  go  off  in  search  of  it. 

From  the  early  morning  when  these  braves  left 

J  us,  led  by  the  old  war-priest,  Loud-Voiced  Raven, 
the  anxious  mothers,  sisters  and  sweethearts 
counted  the  days.  Old  Smoky  Day  would  occa 
sionally  get  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  sing  a 
"  strong-heart  "  song  for  his_absent  grandson.  I 
still  seem  to  hear  the  hoarse,  cracked^  voice  of  the 
ancient  singer^^s  it  resounded  among  the  woodsT 
For  a  long  time  our  roving  community  enjoyed 
unbroken  peace,  and  we  were  spared  any  trouble  or 
disturbance.  Our  hunters  often  brought  in  a  deer 
or  elk  or  bear  for  fresh  meat.  The  beautiful 
lakes  furnished  us  with  fish  and  wild-fowl  for 
variety.  Their  placid  waters,  as  the  autumn  ad 
vanced,  reflected  the  variegated  colors  of  the 
changing  foliage. 


,/ 
^ 


Life  in  the  Woods  2  1 9 

It  is  my  recollection  that  we  were  at  this  time 
encamped  in  the  vicinity  of  the  "  Turtle  Moun-^\ 
tain's  Heart."  It  is  to  the  highest  cone-shaped 
peak  that  the  Indians  aptly  give  this  appellation. 
Our  camping-ground  for  two  months  was  within  a 
short  distance  of  the  peak,  and  the  men  made  it  a 
point  to  often  send  one  of  their  number  to  the 
top.  It  was  understood  between  them  and  the 
war  party  that  we  were  to  remain  near  this  spot ; 
and  on  their  return  trip  the  latter  were  to  give  the 
"  smoke  sign,"  which  we  would  answer  from  the 
top  of  the  hill. 

One  day,  as  we  were  camping  on  the  shore  of  a 
large  lake  with  several  islands,  signs  of  moose 
were  discovered,  and  the  men  went  off  to  them  on 
rafts,  carrying  their  flint-lock  guns  in  anticipation 
of  finding  two  or  three  of  the  animals.  We  little 
fellows,  as  usual,  were  playing  down  by  the  sandy 
shore,  when  we  spied  what  seemed  like  the  root 
of  a  great  tree  floating  toward  us.  But  on  a  closer 
scrutiny  we  discovered  our  error.  It  was  the  head 
of  a  huge  moose,  swimming  for  his  life  !  Fortun 
ately  for  him,  none  of  the  men  had  remained  at 
home. 

According  to  our  habit,  we  little  urchins  disap 
peared  in  an  instant,  like  young  prairie  chickens, 
in  the  long  grass.  I  was  not  more  than  eight 


22O  Indian  Boyhood 

years  old,  yet  I  tested  the  strength  of  my  bow 
string  and  adjusted  my  sharpest  and  best  arrow  for 
immediate  service.  My  heart  leaped  violently  as 
the  homely  but  imposing  animal  neared  the  shore. 
I  was  undecided  for  a  moment  whether  I  would 
not  leave  my  hiding-place  and  give  a  war-whoop 
as  soon  as  he  touched  the  sand.  Then  I  thought 
I  would  keep  still  and  let  him  have  my  boy  weap 
on  ;/and  the  only  regret  that  I  had  was  that  he 
fwould,  in  all  probability,  take  it  with  him,  and  I 
should  be  minus  one  good  arrow. 

"  Still,"  I  thought,  "  I  shall  claim  to  be  the 
smallest  boy  whose  arrow  was  ever  carried  away 
by  a  moose. "^  That  was  enough..  I  gathered 
myself  into  a  bunch,  all  ready  to  spring.  As  the 
long-legged  beast  pulled  himself  dripping  out  of 
the  water,  and  shook  off  the  drops  from  his  long 
hair,  I  sprang  to  my  feet.  I  felt  some  of  the 
water  in  my  face  !  I  gave  him  my  sharpest  arrow 
with  all  the  force  I  could  master,  right  among 
the  floating  ribs.  Then  I  uttered  my  war- 
whoop. 

The  moose  did  not  seem  to  mind  the  miniature 
weapon,  but  he  was  very  much  frightened  by  our 
shrill  yelling.  He  took  to  his  long  legs,  and  in  a 
minute  was  out  of  sight. 

The  leaves  had  now  begun  to  fall,  and  the  heavy 


Life  in  the  Woods  221 

frosts  made  the  nights  very  cold.  We  were  forced 
to  realize  that  the  short  summer  of  that  region 
had  said  adieu  !  Still  we  were  gay  and  light- 
hearted,  for  we  had  plenty  of  provisions,  and 
no  misfortune  had  yet  overtaken  us  in  our 
wanderings  over  the  country  for  nearly  three 
months. 

One  day  old  Smoky  Day   returned  from  the 
daily  hunt  with  an  alarm.     He  had  seen  a  sign— 
a  "  smoke  sign."     This  had  not  appeared  in  the 
quarter    that    they    were    anxiously    watching — it 
came   from   the  east.     After  a  long  consultation] 
among  the  men,  it  was  concluded  from  the  nature  (^ 
and  duration  of  the  smoke  that  it  proceeded  fromj 
an  accidental  fire.     It  was  further  surmised  that 
the  fire  was  not  made  by  Sioux,  since  it  was  out 
of  their  country,  but  by  a  war-party  of  Ojibways^ 
who  were  accustomed  to  use  matches  when  lighting  K/ 
their  pipes,  and   to  throw  them  carelessly  awayy^ 
It  was  thought  that  a  little  time  had  been  spent  in 
an  attempt  to  put  it  out. 

The  council  decreed  that  a  strict  look-out  should 
be  established  in  behalf  of  our  party.  Every  day 
a  scout  was  appointed  to  reconnoitre  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  smoke.  It  was  agreed  that  no 
should  be  fired  for  twelve  days.  All  our 
were  freshly  rehearsed  among  the  men.  The 


222  Indian  Boyhood 

women  and  old  men  went  so  far  as  to  dig  little 
J  convenient  holes  around  their  lodges,  for  defense 
\jn  case  of  a  sudden  attack.  And  yet  an  Ojibway 
scout  would  not  have  suspected,  from  the  ordinary 
appearance  of  the  camp,  that  the  Sioux  had  be 
come  aware  of  their  neighborhood  !  Scouts  were 
stationed  just  outside  of  the  village  at  night.  They 
had  been  so  trained  as  to  rival  an  owl  or  a  cat  in 
their  ability  to  see  in  the  dark. 

The  twelve  days  passed  by,  however,  without 
bringing  any  evidence  of  the  nearness  of  the  sup 
posed  Ojibway  war-party,  and  the  "  lookout " 
established  for  purposes  of  protection  was  aband 
oned.  Soon  after  this,  one  morning  at  dawn,  we 
were  aroused  by  the  sound  of  the  unwelcome  war- 
whoop.  Although  only  a  child,  I  sprang  up  and 
r'was  about  to  rush  out,  as  I  had  been  taught  to 
X^do ;  but  my  good  grandmother  pulled  me  down, 
and  gave  me  a  sign  to  lay  flat  on  the  ground.  I 
sharpened  my  ears  and  lay  still. 

All  was  quiet  in  camp,  but  at  some  little  distance 
from  us  there  was  a  lively  encounter.  I  could 
distinctly  hear  the  old  herald,  shouting  and  yell 
ing  in  exasperation.  "  Whoo  !  whoo  !  "  was  the 
signal  of  distress,  and  I  could  almost  hear  the 
pulse  of  my  own  blood-vessels. 

Closer  and  closer  the  struggle  came,  and  still 


Life  in  the  Woods  223 

the  women  appeared  to  grow  more  and  more  calm. 
At  last  a  tremendous  charge  by  the  Sioux  put  the 
enemy  to  flight ;  there  was  a  burst  of  yelling ; 
alas  !  my  friend  and  teacher,  old  Smoky  Day,  was 
silent.  He  had  been  pierced  to  the  heart  by  an 
arrow  from  the  Ojibways. 

Although  successful,  we  had  lost  two  of  our 
men,  Smoky  Day  and  White  Crane,  and  this  inci 
dent,  although  hardly  unexpected,  darkened  our 
peaceful  sky.  The  camp  was  filled  with  songs  of 
victory,  mingled  with  the  wailing  of  the  relatives 
of  the  slain.  The  mothers  of  the  youths  who 
were  absent  on  the  war-path  could  no  longer  con 
ceal  their  anxiety. 

One  frosty  morning  —  for  it  was  then  near  thY 
end  of  October — the  weird  song  of  a  solitary  brave 
was  heard.  In  an  instant  the  camp  was  thrown 
into  indescribable  confusion.  The  meaning  of 
this  was  clear  as  day  to  everybody  —  all  of  our 
war-party  were  killed,  save  the  one  whose  mourn 
ful  song  announced  the  fate  of  his  companions. 
The  lonely  warrior  was  Bald  Eagle. 

The  village  was  convulsed  with  grief;  for  m 
sorrow,  as  in  joy,  every  Indian  shares  with  all  the 
others.  The  old  women  stood  still,  wherever 
they  might  be,  and  wailed  dismally,  at  intervals 
chanting  the  praises  of  the  departed  warriors.  The 


224  Indian  Boyhood 

wives  went  a  little  way  from  their  teepees  and 
there  audibly  mourned ;  bju^__the__young  maidens 
wandered  further  away  from  the  camp,  where 
no  one  could  witness  their  grief.  The  old  men 
joined  in  the  crying  and  singing.  To  all  ap- 
pearances  the  most  unmoved_of^all_were  thejgar- 
riors,  whose  tears  must  be  poureji  fojrth^  in  the 
\/  }  country  ofjihe  enemy^to  embitter  their  venge- 
ance~  These"  sat  silently  within  their  lodges, 
and  strove  to  conceal  their  feelings  behind  a 

i  stoical    countenance ;    but    they   would    probably 

I  have  failed  had   not  the  spothing  weed  come  to 
'  \their  relief.  **£ 

The  first  sad  shock  over,  then  came  the  change 
of  habiliments.     In   savage   usage,  the   outward 

/  expression  of  mourning  surpasses  that  of  civiliza- 
»  tion.  The  Indian  mourner  gives  up  all  his  good 
clothing,  and  contents  himself  with  scanty  and 
miserable  garments.  Blankets  are  cut  in  two,  and 
the  hair  is  cropped  short.  Often  a  devoted 
mother  would  scarify  her  arms  or  legs  ;  a  sister  or 

^  a  young  wife  would  cut  off  all  her  beautiful  hair 
disfigure  herself  by  undergoing  hardships. 
Fathers  and  brothers  blackened  their  faces,  and 
wore  only  the  shabbiest  garments.  Such  was  the 
spectacle  that  our  people  presented  when  the 
bright  autumn  was  gone  and  the  cold  shadow  of 


A  Winter  Camp  225 

•     '  - 

winter  and  misfortune  had  fallen  upon  us.  "  We 
must  suffer,"  said  they — "the  Great  Mystery  is 
offended." 

II:    A  Winter  Camp 
HEN 


I  was  about  twelve  years 
old  we  wintered  upon  the  Mouse 
river,  west  of  Turtle  mountain. 
It  was  one  of  the  coldest  win 
ters  I  ever  knew,  and  was  so  re 
garded  by  the  old  men  of  the  tribe. 
The  summer  before  there  had  been  plenty  of 
buffalo  upon  that  side  of  the  Missouri,  and  our 
people  had  made  many  packs  of  dried  buffalo 
meat  and  cached  them  in  different  places,  so  that 
they  could  get  them  in  case  of  need.  There  were 
many  black-tailed  deer  and  elk  along  the  river, 
and  grizzlies  were  to  be  found  in  the  open  coun 
try.  Apparently  there  was  no  danger  of  starva 
tion,  so  our  people  thought  to  winter  there ;  but 
it  proved  to  be  a  hard  winter. 

There  was  a  great  snow-fall,  and  the  cold  was 
intense.  The  snow  was  too  deep  for  hunting,  and 
the  main  body  of  the  buffalo  had  crossed  the 
Missouri,  where  it  was  too  far  to  go  after  them. 
But  there  were  some  smaller  herds  of  the  animals 
scattered  about  in  our  vicinity,  therefore  there  was 


226  Indian  Boyhood 

still  fresh  meat  to  be  had,  but  it  was  not  secured 
without  a  great  deal  of  difficulty. 

No  ponies  could  be  used.  The  men  hunted 
on  snow-shoes  until  after  the  Moon  of  Sore  Eyes 
(March),  when  after  a  heavy  thaw  a  crust  was 
formed  on  the  snow  which  would  scarcely  hold  a 
man.j  It  was  then  that  our  people  hunted  buffalo 
/ /with  dogs  —  an  unusual  expedient. 

Sleds  were  made  of  buffalo  ribs  and  hickory 
/saplings,  the  runners  bound  with  rawhide  with 
X  the  hair  side  down.  These  slipped  smoothly  over 
the  icy  crust.  Only  small  men  rode  on  the  sleds. 
When  buffalo  were  reported  by  the  hunting- 
scouts,  everybody  had  his  dog  team  ready.  All 

nt  under  orders  from  the.golice,  and  approached 
the  herd  under  cover  until  they  came  within 
charging  distance. 

The  men  had  their  bows  and  arrows,  and  a  few 
had  guns.  The  huge  animals  could  not  run  fast 
in  the  deep  snow.  They  all  followed  a  leader, 
trampling  out  a  narrow  path.  The  dogs  with 
their  drivers  soon  caught  up  with  them  on  each 
side,  and  the  hunters  brought  many  of  them 
down. 

I  remember  when  the  party  returned,  late  in 
the  night.  The  men  came  in  single  file,  well 
loaded,  and  each  dog  following  his  master  with 


A  Winter  Camp  227 

an  equally  heavy  load.     Both  men  and  animals 
were  white  with  frost. 

We  boys  had  waited  impatiently  for  their  arri 
val.     As  soon  as  we  spied  them  coming  a  buffalo 
hunting  whistle  was  started,  and  every  urchin  in 
the  village  added  his  voice  to  the  weird  sound,  / 
while  the  dogs  who  had   been  left  at  home  joined] 
with  us  in  the  chorus.     The  men,  wearing  their 
buffalo  moccasins  with  the  hair  inside  and  robes 
of  the  same,  came  home  hungry  and  exhausted. 

It  is  often  supposed  that  the  dog  in  the  Indian 
camp  is  a  useless  member  of  society,  but  it  is  not 
so  in  the  wild  life.  We  found  him  one  of  the 
most  useful  of  domestic  animals,  especially  in  an 
emergency. 

While  at  this  camp  a  ludicrous  incident  occurred 
that  is  £tni_tok^about  the  camp-fires  of  the  Sioux. 
One  day  the  men  were  hunting  on  snow-shoes, 
and  contrived  to  get  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
buffalo  before  they  made  the  attack.  It  was  im 
possible  to  run  fast,  but  the  huge  animals  were 
equally  unable  to  get  away.  Many  were  killed. 
Just  as  the  herd  reached  an  open  plain  one  of  the 
buffaloes  stopped  and  finally  lay  down.  Three  of 
the  men  who  were  pursuing  him  shortly  came  up. 
The  animal  was  severely  wounded,  but  not  dead. 

"  I  shall  crawl  up  to  him  from  behind  and  stab 


228  Indian  Boyhood 

him/'  said  Wamedee ;  "  we  cannot  wait  here  for 
him  to  die."  The  others  agreed.  Wamedee  was 
not  considered  especially  brave ;  but  he  took  out 
his  knife  and  held  it  between  his  teeth.  He  then 
approached  the  buffalo  from  behind  and  suddenly 
jumped  astride  his  back. 

The  animal  was  dreadfully  frightened  and  strug 
gled  to  his  feet.  Wamedee's  knife  fell  to  the 
ground,  but  he  held  on  by  the  long  shaggy  hair. 
He  had  a  bad  seat,  for  he  was  upon  the  buffalo's 
hump.  There  was  no  chance  to  jump  off;  he  had 
to  stay  on  as  well  as  he  could. 

"iHurry  !  hurry  !  shoot !  shoot !  "  he  screamed, 
as  the  creature  plunged  and  kicked  madly  in  the 
deep  snow.  Wamedee's  face  looked  deathly,  they 
said  ;  but  his  two  friends  could  not  hjelpjaughing. 
He  was  still  calling  upon  them  to  shoot,  but  when 
the  others  took  aim  he  would  cry  :  "  Don't  shoot ! 
don't  shoot !  you  will  kill  me  !  "  At  last  the  ani 
mal  fell  down  with  him  ;  but  Wamedee's  two  friends 
also  fell  down  exhausted  with  laughter.  jHe  was 
ridiculedjis  a  coward  thereafter. 

It  was  on  this  "very  hunt  that  the  chief  Mato 
was  killed  by  a  buffalo.  It  happened  in  this  way. 
He  had  wounded  the  animal,  but  not  fatally  ;  so 
he  shot  two  more  arrows  at  him  from  a  distance. 
Then  the  buffalo  became  desperate  and  charged 


A  Winter  Camp  229 

upon  him.       In  his  flight  Mato  was  tripped  by 
sticking  one  of  his  snow-shoes  into  a  snowdrift, 
from  which  he  could  not  extricate  himself  in  time. 
The  bull  gored  him  to  death.     The  creek  upon     .    , 
which  this  happened  is  now  called  Mato  creek. [ 

Alittle  way  from  our  camp  there  was  a  log  village 
of  French  Canadian  half-breeds,  but  the  two  vil 
lages  did  not  intermingle.  About  the  Moon  of 
Difficulty  (January)  we  were  initiated  into  some 
of  the  peculiar  customs  of  our  neighbors.  In  the 
middle  of  the  night  there  was  a  firing  of  guns 
throughout  their  village.  Some  of  the  people 
thought  they  had  been  attacked,  and  went  over  to 
assist  them,  but  to  their  surprise  they  were  told 
that  this  was  the  celebration  of  the  birth  of  the  new 
year ! 

Our    men    were    treated    to    minnewakan     or  \ 
"  spirit  water,"  and  they  came  home  crazy   and          . 
foolish.    They  talked  loud  and  sang  all  the  rest  of  /   ^C 
the    night.     Finally    our  head  chief  ordered  his  / 
young  men  to  tie  these  men  up  and  put  them  in  a  j 
lodge  by  themselves.      He  gave  orders  to  untie 
them  "  when  the  evil  spirit  had  gone  away." 

During  the  next  day  all  our  people  were  invited 
to  attend  the  half-breeds'  dance.  I  never  knew 
before  that  a  new  year  begins  in  mid-winter.  We 
had  always  counted  that  the  year  ends  when  the 


230  Indian  Boyhood 

winter  ends,  and  a  new  year  begins  with  the  new 
\  life  in  the  springtime. 

I  was  now  taken  for  the  first  time  to  a  white 
man's  dance  in  a  log  house.  I  thought  it  was  the 
dizziest  thing  I  ever  saw.  One  man  sat  in  a  cor 
ner,  sawing  away  at  a  stringed  board,  and  all  the 
while  he  was  stamping  the  floor  with  his  foot  and 
giving  an  occasional  shout.  When  he  called  out, 
the  dancers  seemed  to  move  faster. 

The  men  danced  with  women  —  something  that 
we  Indians  never  do  —  and  when  the  man  in  the 
corner  shouted  they  would  swing  the  women 
around.  It  looked  very  rude  to  me,  as  I  stood 
outside  with  the  other  boys  and  peeped  through 
_the_chinks  in  the  logs.  At  one  time  a  young  man 
and  woman  facing  each  other  danced  in  the  mid 
dle  of  the  floor.  I  thought  they  would  surely 
wear  their  moccasins  out  against  the  rough  boards  ; 
but  after  a  few  minutes  they  were  relieved  by  an 
other  couple. 

Then  an  old  man  with  long  curly  hair  and  a 
fox-skin  cap  danced  alone  in  the  middle  of  the 
room,  slapping  the  floor  with  his  moccasined  foot 
in  a  lightning  fashion  that  I  have  never  seen 
equalled.  He  seemed  to  be  a  leader  among  them. 
When  he  had  finished,  the  old  man  invited  our 
principal  chief  into  the  middle  of  the  floor,  and 


A  Winter  Camp  2  3  i 

after  the  Indian  had  given  a  great  whoop,  the  two 
drank  in  company.    After  this,  there  was  so  muchf 
drinking  and  loud  talking  among  the  men,  that  it  j    V 
was  thought  best  to  send  us  children  back  to  the  » 
camp. 

It  was  at  this  place  that  we  found  many  sand 
boulders  like  a  big  "  white  man's  house."  There 
were  holes  in  them  like  rooms,  and  we  played  in 
these  cave-like  holes.  One  day,  in  the  midst  of 
our  game,  we  found  the  skeleton  of  a  great  bear. 
Evidently  he  had  been  wounded  and  came  there 
to  die,  for  there  were  several  arrows  on  the  floor 
of  the  cave. 

The  most  exciting  event  of  this  year  was  the 
attack  that  the  Gros  Ventres  made  upon  us  just 
as  we  moved  our  camp  upon  the  table  land  back  of 
the  river  in  the  spring.  We  had  plenty  of  meat 
then  and  everybody  was  happy.  The  grass  was 
beginning  to  appear  and  the  ponies  to  grow  fat. 

One  night  there  was  a  war  dance.  A  few  of 
our  young  men  had  planned  to  invade  the  Gros 
Ventres  country,  but  it  seemed  that  they  too  had 
been  thinking  of  us.  Everybody  was  interested 
in  the  proposed  war  party. 

" Uncle,  are  you  going  too?"  I  eagerly  asked 
him. 

"  No,"  he  replied,  with  a  long  sigh.    "  It  is  the^ 


232  Indian  Boyhood 

worst  time  of  year  to  go  on  the  war-path.  We 
shall  have  plenty  of  fighting  this  summer,  as  we 
x7  \  are  going  to  trench  upon  their  territory  in  our 
jhunts,"  he  added. 

The  night  was  clear  and  pleasant.  The  war 
drum  was  answered  by  the  howls  of  coyotes  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  Mouse  river.  I  was  in 
the  throng,  watching  the  braves  who  were  about 
to  go  out  in  search  of  glory.  "  I  wish  I  were  old 
enough ;  I  would  surely  go  with  this  party,'1  I 
thought.  My  friend  Tatanka  was  to  go.  He 
was  several  years  older  than  I,  and  a  hero  in  my 
eyes.  I  watched  him  as  he  danced  with  the  rest 
until  nearly  midnight.  Then  I  came  back  to  our 
teepee  and  rolled  myself  in  my  buffalo  robe  and 
was  soon  lost  in  sleep. 

Suddenly  I  was  aroused  by  loud  war  cries. 
"Woo!  woo!  hay-ay!  hay-ay!  U  we  do!  U  we 
do  ! '  I  jumped  upon  my  feet,  snatched  my  bow 
and  arrows  and  rushed  out  of  the  teepee,  franti 
cally  yelling  as  I  went. 

"  Stop !  stop ! "  screamed  Uncheedah,  and  caught 
mej>y  my  long  hair. 

By  this  time  the  Gros  Ventres  had  encircled  our 
\  camp,  sending  volleys  of  arrows  and  bullets  into 
\  our  midst.  The  women  were  digging  ditches  in 
/Which  to  put  their  children. 


Wild  Harvests  233 

My  uncle  was  foremost  in  the  battle.  The 
Sioux  bravely  withstood  the  assault,  although 
several  of  our  men  had  already  fallen.  Many 
of  the  enemy  were  killed  in  the  field  around  our 
teepees.  The  Sioux  at  last  got  their  ponies  and 
made  a  counter  charge,  led  by  Oyemakasan  (my 
uncle).  They  cut  the  Gros  Ventre  party  in  two, 
and  drove  them  off. 

My  friend  Tatanka  was  killed.     I  took  one  of    y 
his  eagle  feathers,  thinking  I  would  wear  it  the/  ' 
first  time  that  I  ever  went  upon  the  war-path^    I\ 
thought  I  would  give  anything  for  the  oppor-  \ 
tunity  to  go   against  the   Gros  Ventres,  because 
they  killed  my  friend.     The  war  songs,  the  wail 
ing  for  the  dead,  the  howling  of  the  dogs  was 
intolerable  to  me.     Soon  after  this  we  broke  up 
our  camp  and  departed  for  new  scenes. 

Ill:    Wild  Harvests 

HEN  our  people   lived  in  Min 
nesota,  ajjood  part  of  their  natur-     - 
al    subsistence  was  .furnished    by  f 
The  wild  jricg>  which  grew  abun 
dantly    in    all    of    that    region. 
Around  the  shores   and  all  over 
some  of  the  innumerable  lakes  of  the  "  Land  of 
Sky-blue  Water  "  was  this  wild  cereal  found.     In- 


234  Indian  Boyhood 

deed,  some  of  the  watery  fields  in  those  days 
might  be  compared  in  extent  and  fruitfulness  with 
the  fields  of  wheat  on  Minnesota's  magnificent 
farms  to-day. 

The  wild  rice  harvesters  came  in  groups  of  fif 
teen  to  twenty  families  to  a  lake,  depending  upon 
the  size  of  the  harvest.  Some  of  the  Indians 
hunted  buffalo  upon  the  prairie  at  this  season,  but 
there  were  more  who  preferred  to  go  to  the  lakes 
to  gather  wild  rice,  fish,  gather  berries  and  hunt  the 
deer.  There  was  an  abundance  of  water-fowls 
among  the  grain  ;  and  really  no  season  of  the  year 
was  happier  than  this. 

The  camping-ground  was  usually  an  attractive 
spot,  with  shade  and  cool  breezes  off  the  water. 
The  people,  while  they  pitched_theirtee£ees  upon 

•the  heights,  ^  pngSJhlp,  fnr  fhp  gak?TS7agnnd  OUt- 

ok^,  actually  lived  in  their  canoes  upon  thg  placid)/ 
waters.fThe  happiest  of  all,  perhaps,  were  the 
./young  maidens,  who  were  all  day  long  in  their 
canoes,  in  twos  or  threes,  and  when  tired  of  gather 
ing  the  wild  cereal,  would  sit  in  the  boats  doing 
I^tljeir  needle-work. 
^/^These  maidens  learned  to  imitate  the   calls  of 
//  the  different  water-fowls  as  a  sort  of  signal  to  the 
Mrnembers  of  a  group.     Even  the  old  women  and 
the  boys  adopted  signals,  so  that  while  the  popu- 


Wild  Harvests  235 

lation  of  the  village  was  lost  to  sight  in  a  thick 
field  of  wild  rice,  a  meeting  could  be  arranged 
without  calling  any  one  by  his  or  her  own  name. 
It  was  a  great  convenience  for  those  young  men^j 
who  sought  opportunity  to  meet  certain  maidens, 
for  there  were  many  canoe  paths  through  the  rice^J 

August  is    the    harvest    month.     There   were 
many  preliminary  feasts  of  fish,  ducks  and  veni 
son,  and  offerings  in  honor  of  the  "  Water  Chief,"  /\^ 
so  that^there  might  not  be  any  drowning  accident 
during^ jthe  harvest.       The  preparation  consisted 
of  a  series  of  feasts  and  offerings  for  many  days, 
while  women_and  men  were  making  birch  canoes^ 
for  jiearly  every  member  of  the  family  must  bex/ 
provided  with  one  for  this  occasion.     The  blue 
berry  and  huckleEerry-picking  also  preceded  the 
rice-gathering. 

There  were  social  events  which  enlivened  the 
camp  of  the  harvesters ;  such  as  maidens'  feasts, 
dances  and  a  canoe  regatta  or  two,  in  which  not 
only  the  men  were  participants,  but  women  and 
young  girls  as  well. 

On   the    appointed    day    all   the    canoes  were^j 
carried  to  the  shore  and  placed  upon  the  waterj  / 
with    prayer  and^  propitiatory   offerings.      Each 
family  took  possession  oOhe  allotted Jfjeldj.  and   X- 
tied  all  the  grain  in  bundles  of  convenient  size,  al- 


236  Indian  Boyhood 

lowing  it  to  stand  for  a  few  days.  Then  they 
again  entered  the  lake,  assigning  two  persons  to 
'each  canoe.  One  manipulated  the  paddle,  while 
the  foremost  one  gently  drew  the  heads  of  each 
bundle  toward  him  and  gave  it  a  few  strokes  with  a 
light  rod.  This  caused  the  rice  to  fall  into  the 
bottom  of  the  craft.  The  field  was  traversed  in 
this  manner  back  and  forth  until  finished. 

This  was  the  pleasantest  and  easiest  part  of  the 
harvest  toil.  The  real  work  was  when  they  pre 
pared  the  rice  for  use.  First  of  all,  it  must  be 
made  perfectly  dry.  They  would  spread  it  upon 
buffalo  robes  and  mats,  and  sometimes  upon  lay 
ers  of  coarse  swamp  grass,  and  dry  it  in  the  sun. 
If  the  time  was  short,  they  would  make  a  scaffold 
and  spread  upon  it  a  certain  thickness  of  the  green 
grass  and  afterward  the  rice.  Under  this  a  fire 
was  made,  taking  care  that  the  grass  did  not  catch 
fire. 

When  all  the  rice  is  gathered  and  dried,  the 
hulling  begins.     A  round  hole  is  dug  about  two 
feet  deep  and  the  same  in  diameter.     Then  the 
rice  is  heated  over  a  fire-place,  and  emptied  into 
the  hole  while  it  is  hot.     A  young  man,  having  / 
washed  his  feet  and  put  on  a  new  pair  of  mocca-  j 
sins,  treads  upon  it  until  all  is  hulled.    The  women 
then  pour  it  upon  a  robe  and  begin  to  shake  it  so 


Wild  Harvests 


237 


that  the  chaff  will  be  separated  by  the  wind.     Some 
of  the  rice  is  browned  before  being  hulled. 

During  the  hulling  time  there  were  prizes  of 
fered  to  the  young  men  who  can  hull  quickest  and 
best.  There  were  sometimes  from  twenty  to  fifty 
youths  dancing  with  their  feet  in  these  holes. 


— : ^ 


Pretty  moccasins  were  brought  by  shy  maer),/ 
to  the  youths  of  their  choice,  asking  them  to  hull  j  ' 
rice.     There  were  daily  entertainments  which  de 
served  some  such  name  as  "hulling  bee  " — at  any 
rate,   we    all    enjoyed    them    hugely.     The  girls 
brought  with  them  plenty  of  good  things  to  eat. 

When  all  the  rice  was  prepared  for  the  table, 
the    matter    of  storing    it    must  be   determine^. 
Caches  were  dug  by  each  family  in  a  concealed\ 
spot,  and  carefully  lined  with  dry  grass  and  bark. 
Here  they  left  their  surplus  stores  for  a  time  of  )   /\ 
need.     Our  people  were  very  ingenious  in  covery' 
ing  up  all  traces  of  the  hidden  food.     A  common 
trick  was  to  build  a  fire  on  top  of  the  mound.    As 
much  of  the  rice  as  could  be  carried  conveniently 
was  packed  in  par-Heches,  or  cases  made  of  raw 
hide,  and  brought  back  with  us  to  our  village. 

After  all,  the  wild  Indians  could  not  be  justly 
termed  improvident,  when  their  manner  of  life  is 
taken  into  consideration.  They  let  nothing  gn  to 
waste,  and  labored  incessantly  during  thesummer 


238  Indian  Boyhood 

and  fall  to  lay  up  provision  for  the  inclement  sea 
son.  Berries  of  all  kinds  were  industriously 
gathered,  and  dried  in  the  sun.  Even  the  wild 
cherries  were  pounded  up,  stones  and  all,  made 
into  small  cakes  and  dried  for  use  in  soups  and  for 
mixing  with  the  pounded  jerked  meat  and  fat  to 
form  a  much-prized  Indian  delicacy. 

Out  on  the  prairie  in  July  and  August  the  wo- 
men  were  wont  to  dig  teerjsinna  with  sharpened 
sticks,  and  many  a  bag  full  was  dried  and  put 
away.  This  teepsinna  is  the  root  of  a  certain  plant 
growing  mostly  upon  high  sandy  soil.  It  is  starchy 
but  solid,  with  a  sweetish  taste,  and  is  very  fatten 
ing.  The  fully  grown  teepsinna  is  two  or  three 
inches  long,  and  has  a  dark-brown  bark  not  unlike 
the  bark  of  a  young  tree.  It  can  be  eaten  raw  or 
stewed,  and  is  always  kept  in  a  dried  state,  except 
when  it  is  first  dug. 

There  was  another  root  that  our  people  gath 
ered  in  small  quantities.  It  is  a  wild  sweet  potato, 
found  in  bottom  lands  or  river  beds. 

The  primitive  housekeeper  exerted  herself  much 
to  secure  a  variety  of  appetizing  dishes  ;  she  even 
robbed  the  field  mouse  and  the  muskrat  to  accom 
plish  her  end.  The  tiny  mouse  gathers  for  her 
winter  use  several  excellent  kinds  of  food.  Among 
these  is  g  wild  bean  which  equals  in  flavor  any  do- 


Wild  Harvests  239 

mestic  bean  that  I  have  ever  tasted.  Her  storehouse 
is  usually  under  a  peculiar  mound,  which  the  un 
trained  eye  would  be  unable  to  distinguish  from 
an  ant-hill.  There  are  many  pockets  underneath, 
into  which  she  industriously  gathers  the  harvest 
of  the  summer. 

She  is  fortunate  if  the  quick  eye  of  a  native 
woman  does  not  detect  her  hiding-place.  About 
the  month  of  September,  while  traveling  over  the 
prairie,  a  woman  is  occasionally  observed  to  halt 
suddenly  and  waltz  around  a  suspected  mound. 
Finally  the  pressure  of  her  heel  causes  a  place  to 
give  way,  and  she  settles  contentedly  down  to  rob 
the  poor  mouse  of  the  fruits  of  her  labor.  * 

The  different  kinds  of  beans  are  put  away  ia-" 
different   pockets,  but  it  is  the  oomeneckali  she 
wants.     The  field  mouse  loves  this  savory  veget 
able,  for  she  always  gathers  it  more  than  any  other. 
There  is  also  some  of  the  white  star-like  manaK~ 
cahkcah,  the  root  of  the  wild  lily.     Xhis  is  a  good        \ 
and  gnQjj^fn^eat. 


our  people  were  gathering  the  wild  rice, 
tney  always  watched  for  another  plant  that  grows 
in  the  muddy  bottom  of  lakes  and  ponds.  It  is  a 

of  an  ordinary  onion. 


This  is  stored  away  by  the  muskratslrTtlieir  houses 
A»by  the  waterside,  and  there  is  often  a  bushel  or 


240  Indian  Boyhood 

more  of  the  psincbincbab  to  be  found  within.  It 
seemed  as  if  everybody  was  good  to  the  wild  Indian; 
at  least  we  thought  so  then. 

I  have  referred  to  the  opportunities  for  courting 
upon  the  wild  rice  fields.  Indian  courtship  is  very 
peculiar  in  many  respects  ;  but  when  you  study 
their  daily  life  you  will  see  the  philosophy  of  their 
etiquette  of  love-making.  There  was  no  parlor 
courtship  ;  the  life  was  largely  out-of-doors,  which 
wa3  very  favorable  to  the  young  men. 

In  a  nomadic  life  where  the  female  members  of 
the  family  have  entire  control  of  domestic  affairs, 
the  work  is  divided  among  them  all.  Very  often 
the  bringing  of  the  wood  .  jjid  w^lejLdejyolves-  upon 
the  youngjnaids,  and  the  springy  or  the  woods 
become_jthe_bAttlezground_of  love's  warfare.  The 
nearest  water  may  be  some  distance  from  the  camp, 
which  is  all  the  better.  Sometimes,  too,  there  is 
no  wood  to  be  had  ;  and  in  that  case,  one  would 
see  the  young  women  scattered  all  over  the  prairie, 
gathering  buffalo  chips  for  fuel. 

?This  is  the  way  the  red  men  go  about  to  induce 
the  aboriginal  maids  to  listen  to  their  suit.    As  soon 
as  the  youth  has  returned  from  the  war-path  or  the 
£    ^       chase,  he  puts  on  his  porcupine-quill  embroidered 
\      moccasins  and   leggings,  and  folds  his  best  robe 
about  him.     He  brushes  his  long,  glossy  hair  with 


•Aj 


Wild  Harvests  241 

a  brush  made  from  the  tail  of  the  porcupine,  per 
fumes  jt  with  scented  grass  or  leaves,  then  arranges 
it  in  two  plaits  with  an  otter  skin  or  some  other  or 
nament.  If  he  is  a  warrior,  he  adds  an  eagle 
feather  or  two. 

If  he  chooses  to  ride,  he  takes  his  best  pony. 
He  jumps  upon  its  bare  back,  simply  throwing  a 
part  of  his  robe  under  him  to  serve  as  a  saddle, 
and  holding  the  end  of  a  lariat  tied  about  the 
animal's  neck.     He  guides  him  altogether  by  the  / 
motions  of  his  body.     These  wily  ponies  seem  tor" 
enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  occasion,  and  very  often 
capture  the  eyes  of  the  maid  by  their   graceful 
movements,  in  perfect  obedience  to  their  master. 

The  general  custom  is  for  the  young  men  to 
their  robes  over  their  heads,  leaving  only  a 
look  through.    Sometimes  the  same  is  done  by  the 
maiden  —  especially  in  public  courtship. 

He  approaches  the  girl  while  she  is  coming  from\ 
the  spring.  He  takes  up  his  position  directly  in 
her  path.  If  she  is  in  a  hurry  or  does  not  care  to 
stop,  she  goes  around  him  ;  but  if  she  is  willing  to 
stop  and  listen  she  puts  down  on  the  ground  the 
vessel  of  water  she  is  carrying. 

Very  often  at  the  first  meeting  the  maiden  does 
not  knowjwhojier  loverTs.  He  does  not  introduce 
himself  immediately,  but  waits  until  a  second 


aster. 
topulTl 
slit  to     I 


UNIVERSITY 


242  Indian  Boyhood 

/'meeting.  Sometimes  she  does  not  see  his  face  at 
all ;  and  then  she  will  try  to  find  out  who  he  is 
and  what  he  looks  like  before  they  meet  again.  If 
he  is  not  a  desirable  suitor,  she  will  go  with  her 
chaperon  and  end  the  affair  there. 

There  are  times  when  maidens  go  in  twos,  and 
J:hen  there  must  be  two  young  men  to  meet  them. 
There  is  some  courtship  in  the  night  time;  either 
in  the  early  part  of  the  evening,  on  the  outskirts 
of  dances  and  other  public  affairs,  or  after  every- 
£L  ^jbody  is  supposed  to  be  asleep.     This  is  the  secret 
courtship.  /*The  youth  may  pull  up  the  tentpins 
just  back  of  his  sweetheart  and  speak  with  her 
during  the  night.    He  must  be  a  smart  young  man 
to  do  that  undetected,  for  the  grandmother,  her 
\  chaperon,  is  usually  "  all  ears." 

Elopements    are   cojnrnon.     There    are   many 
reasons  for  a  girl  or  a  youth  to  defer  their  wedding. 
VJt mav  De  from  personal  pride  of  one  or  both.  The 
\     A  f  welj.-born  are  married  publicly,  and  rnany  things 
y(  yC  Are  given  away  in  thejrhonor.     The  maiden  may 
f  desire  to  attend  a  certaTrTnumber  of  maidens'  feasts 
ifore  marrying.     The  youth  may  be  poor,  or  he 
may  wish  to  achieve  another  honor  before  surren- 
lering  to  a  woman. 

"Sometimes  a  youth  is  so  infatuated  with  a  maid 
en  that  he  will  follow  her  to  any  part  of  the  country, 


Wild  Harvests  243 

even  after  their  respective  bands  have  separated  for 
the  season.  I  knew  of  one  such  case.  Patah 
Tankah  had  courted  a  distant  relative  of  my  uncle 
for  a  long  time.  There  seemed  to  be  some  objec 
tion  to  him  on  the  part  of  the  girl's  parents,  al 
though  the  girl  herself  was  willing. 

The  large  camp  had  been  broken  up  for  the  fall 
hunt,  and  my  uncle's  band   went  one  way,  while 
the  young  man's  family  went  in  the  other  direction. 
After  three  days'  travelling,  we  came  to  a  good 
hunting-ground,  and  made   camp.     One  evening 
somebody  saw  the  young  man.    He  had  been  fol-\ 
lowing  his    sweetheart  and  sleeping  out-of-doors  I 
all  that  time,   although  the  nights  were    alreadjy 
frosty  and  cold.      He  met  her  every  day  in  secret \ 
and  she  brought  him  food,  but  he  would  not  comej 
near  the  teepee.     Finally  her  people  yielded,  and 
she  went  back  with  him  to  his  band.  \^ 

When  we  lived  our  natural  life,  there  was  much 
singing  of  war  songs,  medicine,  hunting^  .and  love 
rsongs.     Sometimes  there  were  few  words  or  none^X 
but  everything  was  understood  by  the  inflection.JpC 
From  this  I  have  often  thought  that  there  mustj 
be  a  language  of  dumb  beasts. 

The  crude_ musical  instrument  of  the  Sioux,  the 
flute,  was  made  to  appeal  to  the^suscepd^le^ears  o 
the  maidens""lateTnto"the"  night.     There  comes" to 


244  Indian  Boyhood 

me  now  the  picture  of  two  young  men  with  their 
robes  over  their  heads,  and  only  a  portion  of  the 
hand-made  and  carved  cfoten^thejlute,  protrud 
ing  from  its  folds.  I  can  see  all  the  maidens  slyly 
turn  their  heads  to  listen.  Now  I  hear  one  of 
the  youths  begin  to  sing  a  plaintive  serenade  as  in 
days  gone  by : 

"  Hay-ay-ay  !     Hay-ay-ay  !     a-ah ay-ay  !  "  (This 

is  the  prelude.) 
"  Listen  !     you  will  hear  of  him  — 

Hear  of  him  who  loves  you  ! 
Maiden,  you  will  hear  of  him  — 

Hear  of  him  who  loves  you,  who  loves  you  / 
Listen  !     he  will  shortly  go 
Seeking  your  ancestral  foe  !  " 

Wasula  feels  that  she  must  come  out,  but  she 
has  no  good  excuse,  so  she  stirs  up  the  embers  of 
the  fire  and  causes  an  unnecessary  smoke  in  the 

A  teepee.     Then  she  has  an  excuse  to  come  out  and 
(J  fix  up  the  tent  flaps.    She  takes  a  long  time  to  ad 
just  these  pointed  ears  of  the  teepee,  with  their 

\  long  poles,  for  the  wind  seems  to  be  unsettled. 
""Finally  Chotanka  ceases  to    be  heard.       In    a 
moment  a  young  man  appears  ghost-like  at  the 
maiden's  side. 


A  Meeting  on  the  Plains  245 

"  So  it  is  you,  is  it  ?  "  she  asks. 

"  Is  your  grandmother  in  ?  "  he  inquires. 

"  What  a  brave  man  you  are,  to  fear  an  old  wo 
man  !  We  are  free  ;  the  country  is  wide.  We 
can  go  away,  and  come  back  when  the  storm  is 
over." 

"  Ho,"  he  replies.  "  It  is  not  that  I  fear  her, 
or  the  consequences  of  an  elopement.  I  fear  noth 
ing  except  that  we  may  be  separated  !  " 

The  girl  goes  into  the  lodge  for  a  moment,  then 
slips  out  once  more.  "  Now,  "  she  exclaims,  "  to 
the  wood  or  the  prairie  !  I  am  yours  !  "  They  dis 
appear  in  the  darkness. 

IV:    A  Meeting  on  the  Plains 

were  encamped  at  one  time  on 
the  Souris  or  Mouse  river,  a  tribu 
tary  of  the  Assiniboine.  The 
buffaloes  were  still  plenty  ;  hence 
we  were  living  on  the  "  fat  of  the 
land."  One  afternoon  a  scout 
came  in  with  the  announcement  that  a  body  of 
United  States  troops  was  approaching  !  This  re 
port,  of  course,  caused  much  uneasiness  among 
our  people. 

A  council  was  held  immediately,  in  the  course 
of  which  the  scout  was  put  jhrough  a  rigid  exam-  NC^ 


246  Indian  Boyhood 

i nation.  Before  a  decision  had  been  reached,  an 
other  scout  came  in  from  the  field.  He  declared 
that  the  moving  train  reported  as  a  body  of  troops 
was  in  reality  a  train  of  Canadian  carts. 

The  two  reports  differed  so  widely  that  it  was 
deemed  wise  to  send  out  more  runners  to  observe 
this  moving  body  closely,  and  ascertain  definitely 
its  character.  These  soon  returned  with  the  pos 
itive  information  that  the  Canadians  were  at  hand, 
"  for/'  said  they,  "  there  are  no  bright  metals  in 
the  moving  train  to  send  forth  flashes  of  light. 
The  separate  bodies  are  short,  like  carts  with  ponies, 
and  not  like  the  long,  four-wheeled  wagon  drawn 
by  four  or  six  mules,  that  the  soldiers  use.  They 
are  not  buffaloes,  and  they  cannot  be  mounted 
troops,  with  pack-mules,  because  the  individual 
bodies  are  too  long  for  that.  Besides,  the  soldiers 
usually  have  their  chief,  with  his  guards,  leading 
the  train  ;  and  the  little  chiefs  are  also  separated 
Jrom  the  main  body  and  ride  at  one  side  !  " 

From  these  observations  it  was  concluded  that 
we  were  soon  to  meet  with  the  bois  brules,  as  the 
French  call  their  mixed-bloods,  presumably  from 
the  color  of  their  complexions.  Some  say  that 
they  are  named  from  the  "burned  forests  "  which, 
as  wood-cutters,  they  are  accustomed  to  leave  be 
hind  them.  Two  or  three  hours  later,  at  about 


A  Meeting  on  the  Plains  247 

sunset,  our  ears  began  to  distinguish  the  peculiar 
music  that  always  accompanied  a  moving  train  of 
their  carts.  It  is  like  the  grunting  and  squealing 
of  many  animals,  and  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
wheels  and  all  other  parts  of  these  vehicles  are 
made  of  wood.  Our  dogs  gleefully  augmented  the 
volume  of  inharmonious  sound. 

They  stopped  a  little  way  from  our  camp,  upon 
a  grassy  plain,  and  the  ponies  were  made  to  wheel 
their  clumsy  burdens  into  a  perfect  circle,  the 
shafts  being  turned  inward.  Thus  was  formed  a 
sort  of  barricade  —  quite  a  usual  and  necessary  pre 
caution  in  their  nomadic  and  adventurous  life. 
Within  this  circle  the  tents  were  pitched,  and  many 
cheerful  fires  were  soon  kindled.  The  garcons 
were  hurriedly  driving  the  ponies  to  water,  with 
much  cracking  of  whips  and  outbursting  of  im 
patient  oaths. 

Our  chief  and  his  principal  warriors  briefly  coii-\\ 
ferred  with  the  strangers,  and  it  was  understood 
by  both  parties  that  no  thought  of  hostilities  lurked 
in  the  minds  of  either.  _ 

After  having  observed  the  exchange  of  presents\  ./ 
that  always  follows  a  "  peace  council,"  there  werej 
friendly  and  hospitable  feasts  in  both  campsj  The 
bois  brules  had  been  long  away  from  any  fort  or 
trading-post,  and  it  so  happened  that  their  inevi- 


248  Indian  Boyhood 

table  whiskey  keg  was  almost  empty.  They  had 
diluted  the  few  gills  remaining  with  several  large 
kettles  full  of  water.  In  order  to  have  any  sort  of 
offensive  taste,  it  was  necessary  to  add  cayenne 
pepper  and  a  little  gentian. 

Our  men  were  treated  to  this  concoction ;  and 
seeing  that  two  or  three  of  the  half-breeds  pre 
tended  to  become  intoxicated,  our  braves  followed 
their  example.  They  made  night  intolerable  with 
their  shouts  and  singing  until  past  midnight,  when 
gradually  all  disturbance  ceased,  and  both  camps 
appeared  to  be  wrapped  in  deep  slumber. 

Suddenly  the  loud  report  of  a  gun  stirred  the 
sleepers.  Many  more  reports  were  heard  in  quick 
succession,  all  coming  from  the  camp  of  the  bois 
brutes.  Every  man  among  the  Sioux  sprang  to  his 
feet,  weapon  in  hand,  and  many  ran  towards  their 
ponies.  But  there  was  one  significant  point  about 
the  untimely  firing  of  the  guns  —  they  were  all  di 
rected  heavenward  !  One  of  our  old  men,  who 
understood  better  than  any  one  else  the  manners 
of  the  half-breeds,  thus  proclaimed  at  the  top  of 
his  voice : 

"  Let  the  people  sleep  !  This  that  we  have 
heard  is  the  announcement  of  a  boy's  advent  into 
the  world  !  It  is  their  custom  to  introduce  with 
gunpowder  a  new-born  boy  !  " 


A  Meeting  on  the  Plains  249 

Again  quiet  was  restored  in  the  neighboring 
camps,  and  for  a  time  the  night  reigned  undis 
turbed.  But  scarcely  had  we  fallen  into  a  sound 
sleep  when  we  were  for  the  second  time  rudely 
aroused  by  the  firing  of  guns  and  the  yelling  of 
warriors.  This  time  it  was  discovered  that  almost 
all  the  ponies,  including  those  of  our  neighbors, 
had  been  stealthily  driven  off  by  horse-thieves  of 
another  tribe. 

These  miscreants  were  adepts  in  their  profes 
sion,  for  they  had  accomplished  their  purpose 
with  much  skill,  almost  under  the  very  eyes  of 
the  foe,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  invincible 
superstition  of  Slow  Dog,  they  would  have  met 
with  complete  success.  As  it  was,  they  caused  us 
no  little  trouble  and  anxiety,  but  after  a  hot  pur 
suit  of  a  whole  day,  with  the  assistance  of  the  half- 
breeds  our  horses  were  recaptured. 

Slow  Dog  was  one  of  those  Indians  who  are  filled 
with  conceit,  and  boasting  loudly  their  pretensions 
as  medicine  men,  without  any  success,  only  bring 
upon  themselves  an  unnecessary  amount  of  em 
barrassment  and  ridicule.     Yet  there  is  one  quali-  \ 
ty  always  possessed   by   such    persons,  among  a  I 
savage  people  as  elsewhere —  namely,  great  perse-/ 
verance  and  tenacity  in  their   self-assertion,  j  So 
the  blessing  of  ignorance  kept  Slow  Dog  always 


250  Indian  Boyhood 

cheerful ;  and  he  seemed,  if  anything,  to  derive 
some   pleasure  from  the  endless  insinuations  and 
Vridicule  of  the  people  ! 

Now  Slow  Dog  had  loudly  proclaimed,  on  the 
night  before  this  event,  that  he  had  received  the 
warning  of  a  bad  dream,  in  which  he  had  seen  all 
the  ponies  belonging  to  the  tribe  stampeded  and 

driven  westward. 

~*>~~~~ 

/  "  But  who  cares  for  Slow  Dog's  dream  ?  "  said 
,  everybody  ;  "none  of  the  really  great  medicine  men 
\  have  had  any  such  visions  !  " 

Therefore  our  little  community,  given  as  they 
were  to  superstition,  anticipated  no  special  danger. 
It  is  true  that  when  the  first  scout  reported  the 
approach  of  troops  some  of  the  people  had  weak 
ened,  and  said  to  one  another : 

"After  all,  perhaps  poor  Slow  Dog  may  be  right; 
but  we  are  always  too  ready  to  laugh  at  him! " 

However,  this  feeling  quickly  passed  away  when 
the  jovial  Canadians  arrived,  and  the  old  man  was 
left  alone  to  brood  upon  his  warning. 

He  was  faithful  to  his  dream.  During  all  the 
hilarity  of  the  feast  and  the  drinking  of  the  mock 
whiskey,  he  acted  as  self-constituted  sentinel. 
Finally,  when  everybody  else  had  succumbed  to 
sleep,  he  gathered  together  several  broken  and 
discarded  lariats  of  various  materials  —  leather, 


A  Meeting  on  the  Plains  251 

buffalo's  hair  and  horse's  hair.  Having  length 
ened  this  variegated  rope  with  innumerable  knots, 
he  fastened  one  end  of  it  around  the  neck  of  his 
old  war-horse,  and  tied  the  other  to  his  wrist.  In 
stead  of  sleeping  inside  the  tent  as  usual,  he  rolled 
himself  in  a  buffalo  robe  and  lay  down  in  its 
shadow.  From  this  place  he  watched  until  the 
moon  had  disappeared  behind  the  western  hori 
zon  ;  and  just  as  the  grey  dawn  began  to  appear 
in  the  east  his  eyes  were  attracted  to  what  seemed 
to  be  a  dog  moving  among  the  picketed  ponies. 
Upon  a  closer  scrutiny,  he  saw  that  its  actions 
were  unnatural. 

"  I'oka  abe  do  !  toka  abe  do  !  "  (the  enemy  !  the 
enemy ! )  exclaimed  Slow  Dog.  With  a  war- 
whoop  he  sprang  toward  the  intruder,  who  rose 
up  and  leaped  upon  the  back  of  Slow  Dog's  war- 
steed.  He  had  cut  the  hobble,  as  well  as  the  de 
vice  of  the  old  medicine  man. 

The  Sioux  now  bent  his  bow  to  shoot,  but  it 
was  too  late.  The  other  quickly  dodged  behind 
the  animal,  and  from  under  its  chest  he  sent  a 
deadly  arrow  to  Slow  Dog's  bosom.  Then  he  re 
mounted  the  pony  and  set  off  at  full  speed  after 
his  comrades,  who  had  already  started. 

As  the  Sioux  braves  responded  to  the  alarm, 
and  passed  by  the  daring  old  warrior  in  pursuit  of 


252 


Indian  Boyhood 


their  enemies,  who  had  stampeded  most  of  the 
loose  ponies,  the  old  man  cried  out : 

"  I,  brave  Slow  Dog,  who  have  so  often  made 
a  path  for  you  on  the  field  of  battle,  am  now 
about  to  make  one  to  the  land  of  spirits  !  " 

So  speaking,  the  old  man  died.  The  Sioux 
were  joined  in  the  chase  by  the  friendly  mixed- 
bloods,  and  in  the  end  the  Blackfeet  were  com 
pelled  to  pay  dearly  for  the  blood  of  the  poor  old 
man. 

On  that  beautiful  morning  all  Nature  seemed 
brilliant  and  smiling,  but  the  Sioux  were  mourn 
ing  and  wailing  for  the  death  of  one  who  had  been 
an  object  of  ridicule  during  most  of  his  life.  They 
appreciated  the  part  that  Slow  Dog  had  played  in 
this  last  event,  and  his  memory  was  honored  by  all 
the  tribe. 

p  V  :    An  Adventurous  yourney 

|T  must  now  be  about  thirty  years 
since  our  long  journey  in  search     . 
of  new  hunting-grounds^  from  the /\ 
'Assiniboine    river  to_the   Upper 
Missouri.     The  buffalo,  formerly 
so    abundant    between    the    two 
I  rivers,  had  begun  to  shun  their  usual  haunts,  on 
account  of  the  great  numbers  of  Canadian  half- 


An  Adventurous  Journey  253 

* 

breeds  in   that  part  of  the  country.     There  was 
also  the  first  influx  of  English  sportsmen,  whose  / 

wholesale  methods  of  destruction  wrought  such        V 
havoc  with  the  herds.     These  seemingly  intelli 
gent  animals  correctly  prophesied  to  the  natives 
the  approach  of  the  pale-face. 

As  we  had   anticipated,  we   found   game  very 
scarce  as  we  travelled  slowly  across  the  vast  plains. 
There  were  only  herds  of  antelope  and  sometimes 
flocks  of  waterfowl,  with   here  and  there  a  lonely 
bull  straggling  aimlessly  along.     At  first  our  partv_ 
was  small,  but  as  we  proceeded  on  our  way  we  fell  1 
in  with  some  of  the  western  bands  of  Sioux  and  ]  r* 
Assiniboines,  who  are  close  connections. 

Each  day  the  camp  was  raised  aind  marched 
from  ten  to  twenty  miles.  One  might  wonder 
how  such  a  cavalcade  would  look  in  motion.  The 
only  vehicles  were  the  primitive  travaux  drawn  by 
ponies  and  large  Esquimaux  dogs.  These  are 
merely  a  pair  of  shafts  fastened  on  either  side  of 
the  animal,  and  trailing  on  the  ground  behind.  A 
large  basket  suspended  between  the  poles,  just 
above  the  ground,  supplied  a  place  for  goods  and 
a  safe  nest  for  the  babies,  or  an  occasional  helpless 
old  woman.  Most  of  our  effects  were  carried  by 
pack  ponies ;  and  an  Indian  packer  excels  all  oth 
ers  in  quickness  and  dexterity. 


254  Indian  Boyhood 

f     The  train  was  nearly  a  mile  long,  headed  by  a 
J  number  of  old  warriors  on  foot,  who  carried  the 
^•/^Jilled  pipe,  and  decided  when  and  where  to  stop. 
A  very   warm   day  made   much  trouble   for   the 
Vwomen  who  had  charge  of  the  moving  household. 
The    pack    dogs  were   especially    unmanageable. 
They  would  become  very  thirsty  and  run  into  the 
water  with  their  loads.  The  scolding  of  the  women, 
the  singing  of  the  old  men  and  the  yelps  of  the 
TncHan  dudes  made  our  progress  a  noisy  one,  and 
like  that  of  a  town  in  motion  rather  than  an  ord 
inary  company  of  travelers. 

This  jour  nevo£  ours  was  not  without  its  excit- 
ing^e£isodes._j  My  uncle  had  left  the  main  body 
"and  gone  off  to  the  south  with  a  small  party,  as 
he  was  accustomed  to  do  every  summer,  to  seek 
revenge  of  some  sort  on  the  whites  for  all  the  in 
juries  that  they  had  inflicted  upon  our  family, 
us  time  he  met  with  a  company  of  soldiers  be 
tween  Fort  Totten  and  Fort  Berthold,  in  North 
Dakota.  Somehow,  these  seven  Indians  surprised 
the  troopers  in  broad  daylight,  while  eating  their 
dinner,  and  captured  the  whole  outfit,  including 
nearly  all  their  mules  and  one  white  horse,  with 
such  of  their  provisions  as  they  cared  to  carry  back 
with  them.  No  doubt  these  soldiers  reported  at 
the  fort  that  they  had  been  attacked  by  a  large 


An  Adventurous  Journey  255 

party  of  Indians,  and  I  dare  say  some  promo 
tions  rewarded  their  tale  of  a  brave  defense! 
However,  the  facts  are  just  as  I  have  stated  them. 
My  uncle  brought  home  the  white  horse,  and  the 
fine  Spanish  mules  were  taken  by  the  others. 
Among  the  things  they  brought  back  with  them 
were  several  loaves  of  raige^bread,  the  first  I  had 
ever  seen,  jjid  a  great  curiosity.  We  called  it 
aguyape  tac/iangu,  or  lung  bread7from  its  spongy 
consistency. 

Although  when  a  successful  war-party  returnsX 
with  so  many  trophies,  there  is  usually  much  ] 
dancing  and  hilarity,  there  was  almost  nothing  of  j 
the  kind  on  this  occasion.  JQhej-eason  was 
the  enemy  made  little  resistance  j;  and  then  t 

was_om^_old_tracTition  with   regard  To  the 

that  there  is   no  honor  in  conquering    them,  as 
jinder  compulsion.     Had  the 


really  been  a  battle,  and  some  of  our  men  been  ^V  N/ 
killed,  there  would  have  been  some  enthusiasm. 

It  was  upon  this  journey  that  a  hunter  per 
formed  the  feat  of  shooting  an  arrow  through 
three  antelopes.  This  statement  may  perhaps  be 
doubted,  yet  I  can  vouch  for  its  authenticity.  He 
was  not  alone  at  the  time,  and  those  who  were 
with  him  are  reliable  witnesses.  The  animals  were 
driven  upon  a  marshy  peninsula,  where  they  were 


256  Indian  Boyhood 

crowded  together  and  almost  helpless.  Many 
were  despatched  with  knives  and  arrows  ;  and  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Grey-foot,  who  was  large  and 
tall  and  an  extraordinarily  fine  hunter,  actually 
sent  his  arrow  through  three  of  them.  This  feat 
was  not  accomplished  by  mere  strength,  for  it  re 
quires  a  great  deal  of  skill  as  well. 

A  misfortune  occurred  near  the  river  which  de 
prived  us  of  one  of  our  best  young  men.  There 
was  no  other  man,  except  my  own  uncle,  for  whom 
I  had  at  that  time  so  great  an  admiration.  Very 
strangely,  as  it  appeared  to  me,  he  bore  a  Chris 
tian  name.  He  was  commonly  called  Jacob.  I 
did  not  discover  how  he  came  by  such  a  curious 
and  apparently  meaningless  name  until  after  I  had 
returned  to  the  United  States.  His  father  had 
been  converted  by  one  of  the  early  missionaries, 
before  the  Minnesota  massacre  in  1862,  and  the 
boy  had  been  baptized  Jacob.  He  was  an  ideal 
woodsman  and  hunter  and  really  a  hero  in  my 
eyes.  He  was  one  of  the  party  of  seven  who  had 
attacked  and  put  to  rout  the  white  soldiers. 

The  trouble  arose  thus.  Jacob  had  taken  from 
the  soldiers  two  good  mules,  and  soon  afterward 
we  fell  in  with  some  Canadian  half-breeds  who 
were  desirous  of  trading  for  them.  However,  the 
young  man  would  not  trade  ;  he  was  not  at  all  dis- 


An  Adventurous  'Journey  257 

posed  to  part  with  his  fine  mules.  A  certain  one 
of  the  mixed-bloods  was  intent  upon  getting  pos 
session  of  these  animals  by  fair  or  unfair  means. 
He  invited  Jacob  to  dinner,  and  treated  him  to 
whiskey  ;  but  the  Indian  youth  declined  the  liquor. 
The  half-breed  pretended  to  take  this  refusal  to 
drink  as  an  insult.  He  seized  his  gun  and  shot 
his  guest  dead. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  scene  was  one  of  almost 
unprecedented  excitement.     Every  adult_jndiant^\ 
female  as  well  as  male^was  bent _ugon_ j_nvading  / 
^the^ampjof.the  bdsjrules^to  destroy  the  mur-j 
derer.     The  confusion  was  made  yet  more  intoT- 
efable  by  the  wailing  of  the  women  and  the  sing 
ing  of  death-songs. 

Our  number  was  now  ten  to  one  of  the  half- 
breeds.  Within  the  circle  formed  by  their  carts 
they  prepared  for  a  desperate  resistance.  The  hills 
about  their  little  encampment  were  covered  with 
warriors,  ready  to  pounce  upon  them  at  the  sig 
nal  of  their  chief. 


The  older  men,   however,  were  discussing  in  |\  ^/ 
should  be   demanded  of  the  half-  j 


council  what   

breeds.      It  was  determined    that   the  murderer 
must  be   given  up  to  us,  to  be  punished  accord 
ing  to  the  laws  of  the  plains.     If,  however,  they 
should  refuse  to  give  him  up,  the  mode  of  attack 


258 


Indian  Boyhood 


decided  upon  was  to  build  a  fire  around  the  offen 
ders  and  thus  stampede  their  horses,  or  at  the  least 
divide  their  attention.  Meanwhile,  the  braves 
were  to  make  a  sudden  onset. 

)  |  f^ Just  then  a  piece  of  white,  newly-tanned  deer- 
kin  was  hoisted  up  in  the  center  of  the  bois  brule 
'-  \£ncampment.  It  was  a  flag  of  truce.  One  of 
their  number  approached  the  council  lodge,  un 
armed  and  making  the  sign  for  a  peaceful  com 
munication.  He  was  admitted  to  the  council, 
which  was  still  in  session,  and  offered  to  give  up 
the  murderer.  It  was  also  proposed,  as  an  alter 
native,  that  he  be  compelled  to  give  everything 
he  had  to  the  parents  of  the  murdered  man. 
*~  The  parents  were  allowed  no  voice  whatever  in 
the  discussion  which  followed,  for  they  were  re 
garded  as  incompetent  judges,  under  the  circum 
stances.  It  was  finally  decreed  by  the  council 
that  the  man's  life  should  be  spared,  but  that  he 
must  be  exposed  to  the  indignity  of  a  public  whip 
ping,  and  resign  all  his  earthly  possessions  to  the 
parents  of  his  victim.  This  sentence  was  carried 

into  effect. 

• 

In  our  nomadic  life  there  were  a  few  unwritten 
laws  by  which  our  people  were  governed.  There 
was  a  council,  a  police  force,  and  an  executive  offi 
cer,  who  wasjiot  always  the  chief^_but_a  member 


An  Adventurous  ^journey  259 

of  the  tribe  appointed  to  this  position  for  a  given  V/X 
number  ot  days.      There  were  also  the   wise  old 
men  who   were  constantly   in   attendance  at  the 
council  lodge,  and  acted  as  judges  in  the  rare  event 
of  the  commission  of  a  crime. 

This  simple  government  of  ours  was  supported 
by  the  issue  of  little  sticks  about  five  inches  long. 
There  were  a  hundred  or  so  of  these,  and  they 
were  distributed  every  few  days  by  the  police  or 
soldiers,  who  kept  account  of  them.  Whoever 
received  one  of  these  sticks  must  return  it  within 
five  or  ten  days,  with  a  load  of  provisions.  If  one 
was  held  beyond  the  stipulated  time  the  police 
would  call  the  delinquent  warrior  to  account.  In 
case  he  did  not  respond,  they  could  come  and  de 
stroy  his  tent  or  take  away  his  weapons.  When 
all  the  sticks  had  been  returned,  they  were  re 
issued  to  other  men  ;  and  so  the  council  lodge  was 
supported. 

It  was  the  custom  that  no  man  who  had  not 
distinguished  himself  upon  the  war-path  could 
destroy  the  home  of  another.  This  was  a  neces 
sary  qualification  for  the  office  of  an  Indian  police-^ 
man.  These  policemen  must  also  oversee  the  hunt, 
lest  some  individuals  should  be  well  provided 
with  food  while  others  were  in  want.  No  man 
might  hunt  independently.  The  game  must  be 


260 


Indian  Boyhood 


carefully  watched  by  the  game  scouts,  and  the  dis 
covery  of  a  herd  reported  at  once  to  the  council, 
after  which  the  time  and  manner  of  the  hunt  were 
publicly  announced. 

^-PWell  recall  how  the  herald  announced  the  near 
/approach  of  buffaloes.    It  was  supposed  that  if  the 
ITTittle  boys  could  trip  up  the  old  man  while  going 
Mhis  rounds,  the  success  of  the  hunt  was  assured. 
The  oftener  he  was  tripped,  the  more  successful  it 
would   be  !       The  signal  or  call  for  buffaloes  was 
a  peculiar  whistle.    As  soon  as  the  herald  appeared, 
all  the  boys  would  give  the   whistle  and  follow  in 
crowds  after  the  poor  old  man.  Of  course  he  tried 
to  avoid  them,  but  they  were  generally  too  quick 
for  him. 

There  were  two  kinds  of  scouts,  for  hunting  and 
r  war.      In  one  sense  every  Indian  was  a  scout  ; 
ut  there  were  some  especially  appointed  to  serve 
r_a  certain  length  of  time.     An  Indian   might 
hunt  every  day,  besides  the  regularly  organized 
hunt;  l^u_tjie_was_liable  to punishffen^t^^.ny^time. 
If  he  could  kill  a  solitary  buffalo  or  deer  without 
disturbing  the  herd,  it  was  allowed.     He  might 
also  hunt  small  game. 

Tn  the  movable  town  under  such  a  government 
as  this,  there  was  apt  to  be  inconvenience  and  ac 
tual  suffering,  since  a  great  body  of  people  were 


An  Adventurous  "Journey  261 

supported  only  by  the  daily  hunt.     Hence  there^ 
was  a  constant  disposition  to  break  up  into  smaller 
parties,  in  order  to  obtain  food  more  easily  andJ 
freely.     Yet  the  wise  men  of  the  Dakotas  would 
occasionally  form  large  bands  of  from  two  to  live 
thousand  people,  who  camped  and  moved  about/ 
together  for  a  period  of  some  months.      It  is  ap 
parent  that  so  large  a  body  could  not  be  easily  sup 
plied  with  the  necessaries  of  life  ;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  our  enemies  respected  such  a  gathering  !  Of 
course  the  nomadic  government  would  do  its  ut 
most  to  hold  togetheras^ long  as  possible.      The 
police  did  all  they  could  to  keep  in  check  those 
parties  who  were  intent  upon  stealing  away.  J 

There  were  many  times,  however,  when  individ 
ual  bands  and  even  families  were  justified  in  seek 
ing  to  separate  themselves  from  the  rest,  in  order 
to  gain  a  better  support.  It  was  chiefly  by  reason 
of  this  food  question  that  the  Indians  never  estab 
lished  permanent  towns  or  organized  themselves 
into  a  more  formidable  nation.  ^ 

^^*-., 

There  was  a  sad  misfortune  which,  althoughit 
happened  many  generations  ago,  was  familiarly 
quoted  among  us.  A  certain  band  became  very 
independent  and  unruly ;  they  went  so  far  as  to 
wilfully  disobey  the  orders  of  the  general  govern 
ment.  The  police  were  directed  to  punish  the 


262  Indian  Boyhood 

leader  severely ;  whereupon  the  rest  defended 
him  and  resisted  the  police.  But  the  latter  were 
competent  to  enforce  their  authority,  and  as  a  re 
sult  the  entire  band  was  annihilated. 

One  day,  as  we  were  following  along  the  bank 
of  the  Upper  Missouri,  there  appeared  to  be  a 
great  disturbance  at  the  head  of  the  cavalcade — so 
much  so  that  we  thought  our  people  had  been 
attacked  by  a  war-party  of  the  Crows  or  some  of 
the  hostile  tribes  of  that  region.  In  spite  of  the 
danger,  even  the  women  and  children  hurried  for 
ward  to  join  the  men — that  is  to  say,  as  many  as 
were  not  upon  the  hunt.  Most  of  the  warriors 
were  out,  as  usual,  and  only  the  large  boys  and  the 
old  men  were  travelling  with  the  women  and  their 
domestic  effects  and  little  ones. 

As  we  approached  the  scene  of  action,  we  heard 
loud  shouts  and  the  report  of  fire-arms  ;  but  our 
party  was  scattered  along  for  a  considerable  dis 
tance,  and  all  was  over  before  we  could  reach  the 
spot.  It  was  a  great  grizzly  bear  who  had  been 
bold  enough  to  oppose,  single-handed,  the  progress 
of  several  hundred  Indians.  The  council-men, 
who  usually  walked  a  little  in  advance  of  the  train, 
were  the  first  to  meet  the  bear,  and  he  was  prob 
ably  deceived  by  the  sight  of  this  advance  body, 
and  thus  audaciously  defied  them. 


An  Adventurous  journey  263 

Among  these  council-men  —  all  retired  chiefs 
and  warriors  whose  ardent  zeal  for  the  display  of 
courage  had  long  been  cooled,  and  whose  present 
duties  were  those  of  calm  deliberation  for  their 
people's  welfare — there  were  two  old,  distinguished 
war-chiefs.  Each  of  these  men  still  carried  his 
war-lance,  wrapped  up  in  decorated  buckskin.  As 
the  bear  advanced  boldly  toward  them,  the  two  old 
men  promptly  threw  off  their  robes  —  an  evidence 
that  there  still  lurked  within  their  breasts  the  spirit 
of  chivalry  and  ready  courage.  Spear  in  hand, 
they  both  sprang  forward  to  combat  with  the  fe 
rocious  animal,  taking  up  their  positions  about  ten 
feet  apart. 

As  they  had  expected,  the  fearful  beast,  after 
getting  up  on  his  haunches  and  growling  savagely, 
came  forward  with  widely  opened  jaws.  He  fixed 
his  eyes  upon  the  left-hand  man,  who  was  ready 
to  meet  him  with  uplifted  spear,  but  with  one 
stroke  of  his  powerful  paw  the  weapon  was  sent  to 
the  ground.  At  the  same  moment  the  right-hand 
man  dealt  him  a  stab  that  penetrated  the  grizzly's 
side. 

The  bear  uttered  a  groan  not  unlike  that  of  a 
man,  and  seized   the  spear  so  violently  that  its 
owner  was  thrown  to  the  ground.     As  the  animal  </ 
drew  the  lance  from  its  body,  the  first  man,  having 


264  Indian  Boyhood 

recovered  his  own,  stabbed  him  with  it  on  the 
other  side.  Upon  this,  he  turned  and  knocked 
the  old  man  down,  and  again  endeavored  to  extract 
the  spear. 

By  this  time  all  the  dogs  and  men  were  at  hand. 
Many  arrows  and  balls  were  sent  into  the  tough 
hide  of  the  bear.  Yet  he  would  probably  have 
killed  both  his  assailants,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
active  small  dogs  who  were  constantly  upon  his 
heels  and  annoying  him.  A  deadly  rifle  shot  at 
last  .brought  him  down. 

The  old  men  were  badly  bruised  and  torn,  but 
both  of  them  recovered,  to  bear  from  that  day  the 
high-sounding  titles  of  "  Fought-the-Bear "  and 

Conquered-the-Grizzly." 


The  Laughing  Philosopher 


..  I 
_J 


The   Laughing   Philosopher 

|HERE    is    scarcely   anything   so 
exasperating  to    me  as  the  idea 
^  that  the  natives  of  this  country 

Vr  L  /  y\l  ^ave  no  sense  °f  humor  and  no 
faculty  for  mirth.  This  phase 
of  their  character  is  well  under 
stood  by  those  whose  fortune  or  misfortune  it  has 
been  to  live  among  them  day  in  and  day  out  at 
their  homes.  I  don't  believe  I  ever  heard  a  real 
hearty  laugh  away  from  the  Indians'  fireside.  I 
have  often  spent  an  entire  evening  in  kughing  with 
them  until  I  could  laugh  no  more.  There  are 
evenings  when  the  recognized  wit  or  story-teller 
of  the  village  gives  a  free  entertainment  which 
keeps  the  rest  of  the  community  in  a  convulsive^ 
state  until  he  leaves  them.  However,  Indian^ 
humor  consists  as  much  in  the  gestures  and  in-, 
flections  of  the  voice  as  in  words,  and  is  really  un-' 
translatable. 

Matogee  (Yellow  Bear)  was  a  natural  humorous 
speaker,  and  a  very  diffident  man  at  other  times. 


268  Indian  Boyhood 

He   usually  said  little,  but  when  he  was  in  the 
mood  he  could   keep  a  large  company  in  a  roar. 

./[This  was  especially  the  case  whenever  he  met  his 

'Si brother-in-law,  Tamedokah. 

,-  /^"It  was  a  custom  with  us  Indians  to  joke  more 
particularly  with  our  brothers-  and  sisters-in-law. 
But  no  one  ever  complained,  or  resented  any  of 
M^   /^  these   jokes,    however    personal  they    might    be. 

That  would  be  an  unpardonable  breach   of  eti- 
\  quette. 

~~"  Tamedokah,  I  heard  that  you  tried  to  capture 
a  buck  by  holding  on  to  his  tail,"  said  Matogee, 
laughing.  "  I  believe  that  feat  cannot  be  per 
formed  any  more ;  at  least,  it  never  has  been  since 
the  pale-face  brought  us  the  knife,  the  '  mysterious 

•  iron/  and  the  .jgulverized^goal  that  makes  bullets 
fly.  Since  our  ancestors  hunted  with  stone  knives 
and  hatchets,  I  say,  that  has  never  been  done." 

The  fact  was  that  Tamedokah  had  stunned  a 
buck  that  day  while  hunting,  and  as  he  was  about 
to  dress  him  the  animal  got  up  and  attempted  to 
run,  whereupon  the  Indian  launched  forth  to  se 
cure  his  game.  He  only  succeeded  in  grasping  the 
tail  of  the  deer,  and  was  pulled  about  all  over  the 
meadows  and  the  adjacent  woods  until  the  tail 
came  off  in  his  hands.  Matogee  thought  this 
too  good  a  joke  to  be  lost. 


The  Laughing  Philosopher  269 

I  sat  near  the  door  of  the  tent,  and  thoroughly 
enjoyed  the  story  of  the  comical  accident. 

"  Yes,"  Tamedokah  quietly  replied,  "I  thought 
I  would  do  something  to  beat  the  story  of  the 
man  who  rode  a  young  elk,  and  yelled  frantically 
for  help,  crying  like  a  woman." 

"  Ugh  !  that  was  only  a  legend,"  retorted  Ma- 
togee,  for  it  was  he  who  was  the  hero  of  this  tale 
in  his  younger  days.  "  But  this  is  a  fresh  feat  of 
to-day.  Chankpayuhah  said  he  could  not  tell 
which  was  the  most  scared,  the  buck  or  you,"  he 
continued.  "  He  said  the  deer's  eyes  were  bulg 
ing  out  of  their  sockets,  while  Tamedokah's 
mouth  was  constantly  enlarging  toward  his  ears, 
and  his  hair  floated  on  the  wind,  shaking  among 
the  branches  of  the  trees.  That  will  go  down 
with  the  traditions  of  our  fathers,"  he  concluded 
with  an  air  of  satisfaction. 

"  It  was  a  singular  mishap,"  admitted  Tame 
dokah. 

The  pipe  had  been  filled  by  Matogee  and 
to  Tamedolcah  good-naturedly,  still  with  a  broad 
smile  on  his"  Face.  ?Tf  must  be  acknowledged," 
he  resumed,  "  that  you  have  the  strongest  kind  of 
a  grip,  for  no  one  else  could  hold  on  as  long  as  you 
did,  and  secure  such  a  trophy  besides.  That  tail 
will  do  for  an  eagle  feather  holder." 


270  Indian  Boyhood 

,.,--^ 

6y  this  time  the  teepee  was  packed  to  over 
flowing.  Loud  laughter  had  been  heard  is 
suing  from  the  lodge  of  Matogee,  and  every 
body  suspected  that  he  had  something  good,  so 
many  had  come  to  listen. 

"  I  think  we  should  hear  the  whole  matter," 
said  one  of  the  late  comers. 

The  teepee  was  brightly  lit  by  the  burning  em 
bers,  and  all  the  men  were  sitting  with  their  knees 
I    up  against  their  chests,  held  in  that  position  by 
I    wrapping  their    robes    tightly  around    loins  and 
\  knees.     This  fixed  them  something  in  the  fashion 
VojLa_rocking-chair. 

"  Well,  no  one  saw  him  except  Chankpayu- 
hah,"  Matogee  remarked. 

"  Yes,  yes,  he  must  tell  us  about  it,"  exclaimed 
a  chorus  of  voices. 

"  This  is  what  I  saw,"  the  witness  began.  "  I 
was  tracking  a  buck  and  a  doe.  As  I  approached 
a  small  opening  at  the  creek  side  (  boom  ! '  came 
a  report  of  the  mysterious  iron.  I  remained  in 
a  stooping  position,  hoping  to  see  a  deer  cross  the 
opening.  In  this  I  was  not  disappointed,  for  im 
mediately  after  the  report  a  fine  buck  dashed  forth 
with  Tamedokah  close  behind  him.  The  latter 
was  holding  on  to  the  deer's  tail  with  both  hands 
and  his  knife  was  in  his  mouth,  but  it  soon  dropped 


"The  Laughing  Philosopher  271 

out.  c  Tamedokah,'  I  shouted,  '  haven't  you  got 
hold  of  the  wrong  animal  ?  '  but  as  I  spoke  they 
disappeared  into  the  woods. 

"  In  a  minute  they  both  appeared  again,  and 
then  it  was  that  I  began  to  laugh.  I  could  not 
stop.  It  almost  killed  me.  The  deer  jumped  the 
longest  jumps  I  ever  saw.  Tamedokah  walked 
the  longest  paces  and  was  very  swift.  His  hair 
was  whipping  the  trees  as  they  went  by.  Water 
poured  down  his  face.  I  stood  bent  forward  be 
cause  I  could  not  straighten  my  back-bone,  and 
was  ready  to  fall  when  they  again  disappeared. 

"  When  they  came  out  for  the  third  time  it 
seemed  as  if  the  woods  and  the  meadow  were  mov 
ing  too.  Tamedokah  skipped  across  the  opening 
as  if  he  were  a  grasshopper  learning  to  hop.  I 
fell  down. 

"  When  I  came  to  he  was  putting  water  on  my 
face  and  head,  but  when  I  looked  at  him  I  fell 
again,  and  did  not  know  anything  until  the  sun  ; 
had  passed  the  mid-sky.  "  J 

The  company  was  kept  roaring  all  the  way 
through  this  account,  while  Tamedokah  himself 
heartily  joined  in  the  mirth. 

"  Ho,  ho,  ho  !  "  they  said  ;  "  he  has  made  his 
name  famous  in  our  annals.  This  will  be  told  of 
him  henceforth." 


V/  (reply. 
/S^silentl 


272  Indian  Boyhood 

"  It  reminds  me  of  Chadozee's  bear  story,"  said 
one. 

"  His  was  more  thrilling,  because  it  was  really 
dangerous,"  interposed  another. 

"  You  can  tell  it  to  us,  Bobdoo,"  remarked  a 
third._ 

XThc  man  thus  addressed  made  no  immediate 
He  was  smoking  contentedly.  At  last  he 
silently  returned  the  pipe  to  Matogee,  with  whom 
it  had  begun  its  rounds.  Deliberately  he  tight 
ened  his  robe  around  him,  saying  as  he  did 
so : 

"  Ho  (Yes).  I  was  with  him.  It  was  by  a 
very  little  that  he  saved  his  life.  I  will  tell  you 
how  it  happened. 

"  I  was  hunting  with  these  two  men,  Nageedah 
and  Chadozee.  We  came  to  some  wild  cherry 
bushes.  I  began  to  eat  of  the  fruit  when  I  saw  a 
large  silver-tip  crawling  toward  us.  c  Look  out ! 
there  is  a  grizzly  here/  I  shouted,  and  I  ran  my 
pony  out  on  to  the  prairie  ;  but  the  others  had 
already  dismounted. 

"  Nageedah  had  just  time  to  jump  upon  his 
pony  and  get  out  of  the  way,  but  the  bear  seized 
hold  of  his  robe  and  pulled  it  off.  Chado 
zee  stood  upon  the  verge  of  a  steep  bank,  below 
which  there  ran  a  deep  and  swift-flowing  stream. 


The  Laughing  Philosopher  273 

The  bear  rushed  upon  him  so  suddenly  that  when 
he  took  a  step  backward,  they  both  fell  into  the 
creek  together.  It  was  a  fall  of  about  twice  the 
height  of  a  man." 

"  Did  they  go  out  of  sight  ?  "  some  one  in 
quired. 

"  Yes,  both  fell  headlong.  In  his  excitement 
Chadozee  laid  hold  of  the  bear  in  the  water,  and  I 
never  saw  a  bear  try  so  hard  to  get  away  from  a 
man  as  this  one  did." 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha !  ha,  ha,  ha !  "  they  all  laughed. 

"  When  they  came  to  the  surface  again  they 
were  both  so  eager  to  get  to  the  shore  that  each 
let  go,  and  they  swam  as  quickly  as  they  could  to 
opposite  sides.  Chadozee  could  not  get  any  further, 
so  he  clung  to  a  stray  root,  still  keeping  a  close 
watch  of  the  bear,  who  was  forced  to  do  the  same. 
There  they  both  hung,  regarding  each  other  with 
looks  of  contempt  and  defiance." 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha  !  ha,  ha,  ha !  "  they  all  laughed 
again. 

"At  last  the  bear  swam  along  the  edge  to  a 
lower  place,  and  we  pulled  Chadozee  up  by  means 
of  our  lariats.  All  this  time  he  had  been  groan 
ing  so  loud  that  we  supposed  he  was  badly  torn  ; 
but  when  I  looked  for  his  wounds  I  found  a  mere 
scratch." 


274  Indian  Boyhood 


r. 


Again  the  chorus  of  appreciation  from  his 
hearers. 

"  The  strangest  thing  about  this  affair  of  mine," 
spoke  up  Tamedokah,  <c  is  that  I  dreamed  the 
whole  thing  the  night  before." 

"  There  are  some  dreams  come  true,  and  I  am 
a  believer  in  dreams,"  one  remarked. 

,—• •" 

^Yes,  certainly,  so  are  we  all.  You  know 
Hachah  almost  lost  his  life  by  believing  in 
dreams,"  commented  Matogee. 

"  Let  us  hear  that  story,"  was  the  general  re 
quest. 

"  You    have  all  heard  of  Hachah,  the   great 
V  /    medicine  man,  who  did   many  wonderful  things. 
|  j     He  once  dreamed  four  nights  in  succession  of  fly- 
\s    ing  from  a  high  cliff  over  the  Minnesota  river. 
He  recollected  every  particular  of  the  scene,  and 
it  made  a  great  impression  upon  his  mind. 

"  The  next  day  after  he  had  dreamed  it  for  the 
fourth  time,  he  proposed  to  his  wife  that  they  go 
down  to  the  river  to  swim,  but  his  real  purpose 
was  to  see  the  place  of  his  dream. 

"  He  did  find  the  place,  and  it  seemed  to  Ha 
chah  exactly  like.     A  crooked  tree  grew  out  of 
the  top  of  the  cliff,  and  the  water  below  was  very 
deep." 
\  "  Did  he  really  fly  ?  "  I  called  impatiently  from 


The  Laughing  Philosopher  275 

the  doorway,  where  I  had  been  listening  and  laugh-y 
ing  with  the  rest. 

"  Ugh,  that  is  what  I  shall  tell  you.  He  was 
swimming  about  with  his  wife,  who  was  a  fine 
swimmer;  but  all  at  once  Hachah  disappeared. 
Presently  he  stood  upon  the  very  tree  that  he  had 
seen  in  his  dream,  and  gazed  out  over  the  water. 
The  tree  was  very  springy,  and  Hachah  felt  sure 
that  he  could  fly ;  so  before  long  he  launched 
bravely  forth  from  the  cliff.  He  kicked  out  vigor 
ously  and  swung  both  arms  as  he  did  so,  but 
nevertheless  he  came  down  to  the  bottom  of  the 
water  like  a  crow  that  had  been  shot  on  the  wing.'* 

"  Ho,  ho,  ho  !  Ho,  ho,  ho  !  "  and  the  whole 
company  laughed  unreservedly. 

"  His  wife  screamed  loudly  as  Hachah  whirled 
downward  and  went  out  of  sight  like  a  blue  heron 
after  a  fish.  Then  she  feared  he  might  be  stunned, 
so  she  swam  to  him  and  dragged  him  to  the 
shore.  He  could  not  speak,  but  the  woman  over 
whelmed  him  with  reproaches. 

u  '  What  are  you  trying  to  do,  you  old  idiot  ? 
Do  you  want  to  kill  yourself?'  she  screamed 
again  and  again. 

"  *  Woman,  be  silent/  he  replied,  and  he  said 
nothing  more.  He  did  not  tell  his  dream  for 
many  years  afterward^/  Not  until  he  was  a  very 


276  Indian  Boyhood 

old  man  and  about  to  die,  did  Hachah  tell  any  one 
ow  he  thought  he  could  fly." 

(/And  at  this  they  all  laughed  louder  than  ever. 

i 


First  Impressions  of  Civilization 


First  Impressions  of  Civilization 

WAS  scarcely  old  enough  to  know 
anything  definite  about  the  "  Big 
Knives,"  as  we  called  the  white 


jnen,  when  the  terrible  Minnesota 
massacre  broke  up  our  home  and 
I  was  carried  into  exile.  I  have  al 
ready  told  how  I  was  adopted  into  the  family  of 
my  father's  younger  brother,  when  my  father  was 
betrayed  and  imprisoned.  We  all  supposed  that 
he  had  shared  the  fate  of  those  who  were  executed 
at  Mankato,  Minnesota. 

Now  the  savage  philosophers  looked  upon  ven 
geance  in  the  field  of  battle  as  a  lofty  virtue.  To 
avenge  the  death  of  a  relative  or  of  a  dear  friend 
was  considered  a  great  deed.  My  uncle,  accord 
ingly,  had  spared  no  pains  to  instill  into  my  young 
mind  the  obligation  to  avenge  the  death  of  my 
father  and  my  older  brothers.  Already  I  look 
eagerly  forward  to  the  day  when  I  should  find  an 
opportunity  to  carry  out  his  teachings.  Mean- 


280  Indian  Boyhood 

while,  he  himself  went  upon  the  war-path  and  re 
turned  with  scalps  every  summer.  So  it  may  be 
/^Imagined  how  I  felt  toward  the  Big  Knives  ! 

On  the  other  hand,  I  had  heard  marvelous  things 
of  this  people.  In  some  things  we  despised  them; 
in  others  we  regarded  them  as  wakan  (mysterious), 
a  race  whose  power  bordered  upon  the  superna- 
I  learned  that  they  had  made  a  "  fire- 
boat."  I  could  not  understand  how  they  could 
unite  two  elements  which  cannot  exist  together.  I 
thought  the  water  would  put  out  the  fire,  and  the 
fire  would  consume  the  boat  if  it  had  the  shadow  of 
a  chance.  This  was  to  me  a  preposterous  thing ! 
^"Ikit  when  I  was  told  that  the  Big  Knives  had  cre- 
i  ated  a  "  fire-boat-walks-on-mountains "  (a  loco- 
mojtive)  it  was  too  much  to  believe. 

"  Why,"  declared  my  informant,  "  those  who 
saw  this  monster  move  said  that  it  flew  from  moun 
tain  to  mountain  when  it  seemed  to  be  excited. 

ey  said  also  that  they  believed  it  carried  a 
thunder-bird,  for  they  frequently  heard  his  usual 
war-whoop  as  the  creature  sped  along  !  " 

Several  warriors  had  observed  from  a  distance 
one  of  the  first  trains  on  the  Northern  Pacific,  and 
had  gained  an  exaggerated  impression  of  the  won 
ders  of  the  pale-face.  They  had  seen  it  go  over  a 
bridge  that  spanned  a  deep  ravine  andHrF  seemed 


First  Impressions  of  Civilization      281 

to  them  that  it  jumped  from  one  bank  to  the  other. 

I  confess  that  the  story  almost  quenched  my  ardoT^  \^ 

and  bravery.  __  \ 

Two  or  three  young  men  were  talking  together 
about  this  fearful  invention.  __ 

"  However,"  said  one,  "  I  understand  that  this  | 
fire-boat-walks-on-mountains  cannot  move  except/ 
on  the  track  made  for  it."  __  / 

Although  a  boy  is  not  expected  to  join  in  the  con 
versation  of  his  elders,  I  ventured  to  ask  :  "  Then 
it  cannot  chase  us  into  any  rough 

"  No,  it  cannot  do  that,"  was  the  reply,  whicl 
I  heard  with  a  great  deal  of  relief. 

I    had    seen    guns    and    various    other    things 
brought  to  us  by  the  French  Canadians,  so  that  I 
had  already  some  notion  of  the  supernatural  gifts 
of  the  white  man  ;  but  I   had  never  before  heard 
such  tales  as  I  listened  to  that  morning.     It  was 
said  that  they  had  bridged  the  Missouri  and  Miss-  I 
issippi  rivers,  and  that  they  made  immense  houses 
of  stone  and  brick,  piled  on  top  of  one  another' 
until  they  were  as  high  as  high  hills.      My  brain 
was  puzzled  with  these  things  for  many  a  day. 
Finally  I  asked  my  uncle  why  the  Great  MysteryX    .  ; 
gave   such  power  to  the   /F^j^/V^«thench  —  I    A 


sometimes  we  called  them  by  this  name  —  and  not 
to  us  Dakotas. 


282  Indian  Boyhood 

"  For  the  same  reason,*'  he  answered,  tc  that  he 
gave  to  Duta  the  skill  to  make  fine  bows  and  ar 
rows,  and  to  Wachesne  no  skill  to  make  anything." 
S*     "  And  why  do  the  Big  Knives  increase  so  much 
I    more  in  number  than  the  Dakotas  ?  "  I  continued. 
/     "  It  has  been  said,  and  I  think  it  must  be  true, 
VL/that  they  have  larger  families  than  we  do.     I  went 
I    into  the  house  of  an  Eashicba  (a  German),  and  I 
l^cpunted  no  less  than  nine  children.     The   eldest 
of  them  could  not  have  been  over  fifteen.    When 
my  grandfather    first  visited  them,  down  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  they  were  comparative- 
i  ly  few  ;  later  my  father  visited  their  Great  Father 
j  at  Washington,  and  they  had  already  spread  over 
yjiejtyhole  country." 

f      "  Certainly  they  are  a  heartless  nation.     They 
./I    have  made  some  of  their   people  servants — yes, 
^^slaves  !     We    have    never    believed    in    keeping 
v/slaveSi  but  It  seems  that  these  PPasbicbu  doT~   It 
is  our  belief  that  they  painted  their  servants  black 
a  long  time  ago,  to  tell  them  from  the  rest,  and 
now  the  slaves  have  children  born  to  them  of  the 

color ! 

"  The  greatest  object  of  their  lives  seems  to  be 
to  acquire  possessions  —  to  be  rich.     They  desire 
possess  the  whole    world.     For  thirty  years 
they  were  trying  to  entice  us  to  sell  them  our 


First  Impressions  of  Civilization      283 

land.  Finally  the  outbreak  gave  them  all,  and 
we  have  been  driven  away  from  our  beautiful 
country. 

"  They  are  a  wonderful  people.     They  have  J^/ 
divided  the  day  into  hours,  like  the  moons  of  fheJ 
year.      In    fact,   they  measure    every  thing.f  NofT\ 
one  of  them  would  let  so  much  as   a  turnip  go      y- 
from  his  field  unless  he  received  full  value  for  \\..J 
I  understand  that  their  great  men  make  a  feast  \ 
and  invite  many,  but  when  the  feast  is  over  the  •    £ 
guests   are   required  to  pay   for  what  they  have/ 
eaten  before  leaving  the  house.     I  myself  saw  at 
White  Cliff  (the  name  given  to  St.  Paul,  Minne 
sota)  a  man  who  kept  a  brass  drum  and  a  bell  to 
call  people  to  his  table  ;  but  when  he  got  them  in 
he  would  make  them  pay  for  the  food  ! 

"  I  am  also  informed,"  said  my  uncle,  "  but  this 
I  hardly  believe,  that  their  Great  Chief  (President) 
compels  every  man  to  pay  him  for  the  land  he 
lives  upon  and  all  his  personal  goods  —  even  for 
his  own  existence  —  every  year  ! "  (This  was  his 
idea  of  taxation.)  "  I  am  sure  we  could  not  live 
under  such  a  law. 

"  When   the    outbreak    occurred,   we    thought  X 
that  our    opportunity    had    come,   for    we    had 
learned  that  the  Big  Knives  were  fighting  among 
themselves,  on   account  of  a  dispute  over  their 


284  Indian  Boyhood 

slaves.  It  was  said  that  the  Great  Chief  had  al 
lowed  slaves  in  one  part  of  the  country  and  not  in 
another,  so  there  was  jealousy,  and  they  had  to 
fight  it  out.  We  don't  know  how  true  this  was. 
There  were  some  praying-men  who  came  to 
us  some  time  before  the  trouble  arose.  They  ob 
served  every  seventh  day  as  a  holy  day.  On 
that  day  they  met  in  a  house  that  they  had  built 
for  that  purpose,  to  sing,  pray,  and  speak  of  their 
Great  Mystery.  I  was  never  in  one  of  these 
meetings.  I  understand  that  they  had  a  large 
book  from  which  they  read.  By  all  accounts 
they  were  very  different  from  all  other  white  men 
we  hare  known,  for  these  never  observed  any 
;  such  day,  and  we  never  knew  them  to  pray,  neither 
Ulid  they  ever  tell  us  of  their  Great  Mystery. 

"In  war  they   have  leaders   and  war-chiefs  of 

different  grades.     The  common  warriors  are  driv- 

en  forward  like  a  herd  of  antelopes  to  face  the  foe. 

It  is  on  account  of  this  manner  of  fighting  —  from 

compulsion  and  not  from  personal  bravery  —  that 

v  we  rnnntjio  coup^Q]^_^h.Qm^  A  lone  warrior  can 

j  do  much  harm  to  a  large  army  of  them  in  a  bad 


It  was  this  talk  with  my  uncle  that  gave  me  my 
first  clear  idea  of  the  white  man. 
\/  I  was  almost  fifteen  years  old  when  my  uncle 


First  Impressions  of  Civilization      285 

presented  me  with  a  flint-lock  gun.  The  posses 
sion  of  the  "  mysterious  iron,"  and  the  explosive 
dirt,  or  "pulverized  coal,"  as  it  is  called,  filled  me 
with  new  thoughts.  All  the  war-songs  that  I  had 
ever  heard  from  childhood  came  back  to  me  with) 
their  heroes.  It  seemed  as  if  I  were  an  entirel/  \  ^ 
new  being  —  the  boy  had  become  a  man  !  ^ 

"  I  am  now  old  enough,"  said  I  to  myself,  "  and 
I  must  beg  my  uncle  to  take  me  with  him  on  his 
next  war-path.  I  shall  soon  be  able  to  go  among 
the  whites  whenever  I  wish,  and  to  avenge  the 
blood  of  my  father  and  my  brothers." 

I  had  already  begun  to  invoke  the  blessing  ol 
the  Great  Mystery.  Scarcely  a  day  passed  that  I 
did  not  offer  up  some  of  my  game,  so  that  he 
might  not  be  displeased  with  me.  My  people  saw 
very  little  of  me  during  the  day,  for  in  solitude  I 
found  the  strength  I  needed.  I  groped  about  in 
the  wilderness,  and  determined  to  assume  my  po 
sition  as  a  man.  My  boyish  ways  were  depart 
ing,  and  a  sullen  dignity  and  composure  was  taking 
their  place. 

The  thought  of  love  did  not  hinder  my  ambi 
tions.  I  had  a  vague  dream  of  some  day  courting 
a  pretty  maiden,  after  I  had  made  my  reputation, 
and  won  the  eagle  feathers. 

One  day,  when  I  was  away  on  the  daily  hunt, 


286  Indian  Boyhood 

two  strangers  from  the  United  States  visited  our 
camp.  They  had  boldly  ventured  across  the 
northern  border.  They  were  Indians,  but  clad  in 
the  white  man's  garments.  It  was  as  well  that  I 
was  absent  with  my  gun. 

My  father,  accompanied  by  an  Indian  guide, 
after  many  days'  searching  had  found  us  at  last. 
He  had  been  imprisoned  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  with 
those  who  took  part  in  the  massacre  or  in  the  bat 
tles  following,  and  he  was  taught  in  prison  and 
converted  by  the  pioneer  missionaries,  Drs.  Wil 
liamson  and  Riggs.  He  was  under  sentence  of 
death,  but  was  among  the  number  against  whom 
no  direct  evidence  was  found,  and  who  were  finally 
pardoned  by  President  Lincoln. 

When  he  was  released,  and  returned  to  the  new 
reservation  upon  the  Missouri  river,  he  soon  be 
came  convinced  that  life  on  a  government  reserva- 
J:ion  meant  physical_andjnoral  degradation.  There 
fore  he  determined,  with  several  others,  to  try  the 
p^.  white  man's  way  of  gaining  a  livelihood.  They  ac 
cordingly  left  the  agency  against  the  persuasions  of 
the  agent,  renounced  all  government  assistance, 
and  took  land  under  the  United  States  Homestead 
law,  on  the  Big  Sioux  river.  After  he  had  made 
his  home  there,  he  desired  to  seek  his  lost  child. 
It  was  then  a  dangerous  undertaking  to  cross  the 


First  Impressions  of  Civilization      287 

line,  but  his  Christian  love  prompted  him  to  do  it. 
He  secured  a  good  guide,  and  found  his  way  in 
time  through  the  vast  wilderness. 

As  for  me,  I  little  dreamed  of  anything  un 
usual  to  happen  on  my  return.  As  I  approached 
our  camp  with  my  game  on  my  shoulder,  I  had 
not  the  slightest  premonition  that  I  was  suddenly 
to  be  hurled  from  my  savage  life  into  a  life  un 
known  to  me  hitherto. 

When  I  appeared  in  sight  my  father,  who  had 
patiently  listened  to  my  uncle's  long  account  of 
my  early  life  and  training,  became  very  much  ex 
cited.  He  was  eager  to  embrace  the  child  who, 
as  he  had  just  been  informed,  made  it  already  the 
object  of  his  life  to  avenge  his  father's  blood. 
The  loving  father  could  not  remain  in  the  teepee 
and  watch  the  boy  coming,  so  he  started  to  meet 
him.  My  uncle  arose  to  go  with  his  brother  to 
insure  his  safety. 

My  face  burned  with  the  unusual  excitement 
caused  by  the  sight  of  a  man  wearing  the  Big 
Knives'  clothing  and  coming  toward  me  with  my 
uncle. 

"  What  does  this  mean,  uncle  ?  " 

"  My  boy,  this  is  your  father,  my  brother, 
whom  we  mourned  as  dead.  He  has  come  for 
you." 


288  Indian  Boyhood 

My  father  added :  "  I  am  glad  that  my  son  is 
strong  and  brave.  Your  brothers  have  adopted 
the  white  man's  way  ;  I  came  for  you  to  learn 
this  new  way,  too ;  and  I  want  you  to  grow  up  a 
good  man." 

He  had  brought  me  some  civilized  clothing. 
At  first,  I  disliked  very  much  to  wear  garments 
made  by  the  people  I  had  hated  so  bitterly.  But 
the  thought  that,  after  all,  they  had  not  killed  my 
father  and  brothers,  reconciled  me,  and  I  put  on 
the  clothes. 

In  a  few  days  we  started  for  the  States.     I  felt 

as  if  I  were  dead  and  traveling  to  the  Spirit  Land  ; 

or  now  all  my  old  ideas  were  to  give  place  to  new 

ones,  and  my  life  was  to  be  entirely  different  from 

that  of  the  past. 

"Still,  I  was  eager  to  see  some  of  the  wonderful 
inventions  of  the  white  people.  When  we 
reached  Fort  Totten,  I  gazed  about  me  with  live 
ly  interest  and  a  quick  imagination. 

My  father  had  forgotten  to  tell  me  that  the 
fire-boat-walks-on-mountains  had  its  track  at  James 
town,  and  might  appear  at  any  moment.  As 
I  was  watering  the  ponies,  a  peculiar  shrilling 
noise  pealed  forth  from  just  beyond  the  hills. 
The  ponies  threw  back  their  heads  and  listened ; 
then  they  ran  snorting  over  the  prairie.  Mean- 


First  Impressions  of  Civilization      289 

while,  I  too  had  taken  alarm.  I  leaped  on  the 
back  of  one  of  the  ponies,  and  dashed  off  at 
full  speed.  It  was  a  clear  day;  I  could  not  imagine 
what  had  caused  such  an  unearthly  noise.  It 
seemed  as  if  the  world  were  about  to  burst  in  two  ! 

I  got  upon  a  hill  as  the  train  appeared.  "  O  !" 
I  said  to  myself,  "  that  is  the  fire-boat- walks- 
on-mountains  that  I  have  heard  about !  "  Then 
I  drove  back  the  ponies. 

My  father  was  accustomed  every  morning  to 
read  from  his  Bible,  and  sing  a  stanza  of  a  hymn. 
I  was  about  very  early  with  my  gun  for  several 
mornings  ;  but  at  last  he  stopped  me  as  I  was 
preparing  to  go  out,  and  bade  me  wait. 

I  listened  with  much  astonishment.  The  hymn 
contained  the  word  Jesus.  I  did  not  comprehend 
what  this  meant ;  and  my  father  then  told  me  that 
Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God  who  came  on  earth  to 
save  sinners,  and  that  it  was  because  of  him  that 
he  had  sought  me.  This  conversation  made  a 
deep  impression  upon  my  mind. 

Late  in  the  fall  we  reached  the  citizen  settle 
ment  at  Flandreau,  South  Dakota,  where  my 
father  and  some  others  dwelt  among  the  whites. 
Here  my  wild  life  came  to  an  end,  and  my  school 
days  began. 

THE  END 


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